2020 Tokyo Olympics | Making Tracks

Tokyo marks the 12th Olympic Games in which the Duke track & field program has been represented. The roster of Blue Devil track Olympians features two athletes and one coach who participated in three Olympics each. Most of the Olympians have competed for the United States, but the three former Blue Devils in Tokyo are performing for other nations. Here's the past and present in condensed form.

1956 Melbourne
Duke Hall of Famer Joel Shankle won the bronze medal in the 110 hurdles

1960 Rome
Duke Hall of Famer Dave Sime won the silver medal in the 100 meters

1972 Munich
Duke Hall of Famer Bob Wheeler reached the semifinals in the 1500 meters
Duke Hall of Fame coach Al Buehler made the first of three trips as Team USA manager

1984 Los Angeles
Buehler made his second trip as Team USA manager

1988 Seoul
Buehler served as the track team manager for a third time

1996 Atlanta
Duke grad Curt Clausen competed in the race walk event for the first of three times

2000 Sydney
Clausen returned for another shot in the race walk

2004 Athens
Duke All-American Jillian Schwartz competed for the USA in the pole vault
Clausen made his third appearance as a race walker

2008 Beijing
Duke national champion Shannon Rowbury placed seventh in the 1,500 meters

2012 London
Rowbury took fourth place in the 1,500 meters, the best ever finish by an America woman in that race
Schwartz returned in the pole vault to compete for Israel

2016 Rio de Janeiro
Rowbury ran the 1,500 in her third Olympics, again placing fourth

2021 Tokyo
Former Blue Devils Kate Van Buskirk and Maddy Price will represent Canada and Duke record-holder Steven Solomon will run for Australia

Kate Van Buskirk
Will run 5,000 meters for Canada
Competed in cross country & track at Duke 2006-11
Two-time ACC champion at Duke
Two-time first team All-America at Duke
Has held the Duke indoor 1000m and mile records for the past 10 years

Maddy Price
Will run 4x400 relay for Canada
Duke standout 2015-18
Three 4x400 relay All-America honors at Duke
Volunteer assistant coach at Duke last season

Steven Solomon
Will run 400 meters for Australia
Duke grad student in 2018
Set school records in the indoor and outdoor 400 meters
All-American in indoor and outdoor season
Previously placed 8th in the 400 at the 2012 Olympics
Six-time Australian champion in the 400

Credit: GoDuke the Magazine

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2020 Tokyo Olympics | Making Tracks

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