LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky Track and Field squad will send the most Wildcats ever to the Olympics. A total of three current and former athletes and one coach will head to Beijing, China, for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Opening ceremonies are set to start on Aug. 8, 2008 at 8:00 (ET).
Sprinter Jose Acevedo, hurdler Mikel Thomas, former middle distance specialist David Freeman and assistant coach for sprints, hurdles and relays Erin Tucker will make the trek to China. All four Wildcats will provide blog entries throughout their trip to Beijing. To read their latest entries, please visit the section for complete Olympic Games coverage.
The running crew will join two other UK athletes in current swimmer Elvis Burrows and former basketball great Tayshaun Prince. The total of six Wildcat athletes matches the record total of the 1948 UK contingent when five men?s basketball players and Head Coach Adolph Rupp made the trip to the summer games in London, England.
?We are extremely proud of the Wildcats who are representing their countries at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,? UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart said. ?It?s a true testament to the dedication and commitment they have shown in their respective sports and we wish them success as they compete against the world?s best.?
A record three athletes and one coach from the Kentucky track and field team will participate at the 2008 Summer Games representing three separate countries. UK track and field has been represented by one participant at every summer Olympics since the 1976 Montreal Games with the exception of the heavily boycotted Moscow Games in 1980. The 2008 Beijing Games will be the first to have multiple athletes represent Kentucky track and field.
Assistant coach Erin Tucker was named guest coach to the Venezuelan track and field team along with rising senior Jose Acevedo who will compete in the 200m dash. Tucker wrapped up his fifth season overseeing sprints, hurdles and relays at Kentucky. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June, Tucker coached the men?s 4x400m relay squad to a third-place finish nationally, setting a new school record of 3:02.00 in the process. This season Tucker’s athletes posted over 30 new entries into Kentucky?s all-time top-10 lists. This is not the first time the Wildcat coach has been a member of the Venezuelan National Team?s coaching staff. Tucker was asked to be a guest coach for the country during the 2006 Central America and Caribbean Championships held in Cartagena, Colombia.
In late May Acevedo broke the Venezuelan National Record in the 200m dash after crossing the line in 20.58. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June, Acevedo anchored the men’s 4x400m relay squad that finished third in the nation while setting the UK varsity record in a time of 3:02.00. He is also a member of UK’s 2007 NCAA Indoor Championship silver medalist 4x400m relay squad that owns the school record with a time of 3:05.87.
Fellow rising senior Mikel Thomas will represent his native home of Trinidad and Tobago. Thomas won a gold medal by taking the men?s 110m hurdles title during the Sagicor/NAAA National Senior Open Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in late June. The UK varsity record holder in the event ran 13.96 to clinch the top prize over his countrymen on the opening day of competition.
Former Kentucky track athlete David Freeman will represent his mother?s home of Puerto Rico in the 1500m run. While at UK Freeman was honored as a three-time All-America in the mile (2003 and 2004) and in the 800 meter run (2002). Freeman’s name still graces the UK record books four years after his graduation. The former Cat still claims the 800m run indoor record of 1:47.40 set in 2003.
Follow all of the Wildcat results on UKathletics.com when track and field competition begins on Friday, Aug. 15.
