FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Former Razorback swimmer Anna Hopkin anchored the British 4x100 mixed medley swim relay to a gold medal and a world record time in the event, the first time it had been conducted at the Olympics. Graduate student Kelsey Plum rained baskets down on the competition during the women's 3x3 basketball competition to win gold as well in another event new to the Olympics. Track assistant Ryan Crouser set a new Olympic record while winning the men's shotput competition in Tokyo.

MEDALISTS DURING FIRST WEEK

Hopkin and British Relay Team Set World Record

Razorback alumna Anna Hopkin anchored the British mixed 4x100 medley swim relay to a gold medal and new world record at the Tokyo Olympics. Winning the final in a time of 3 minutes, 37.58 seconds, Great Britain bettered by more than 40 seconds the previous world record of 3:38.41 set by China in 2020.

Hopkin also swam as part of the women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team, which finished fifth, and individually she also finished seventh in the 100-meter freestyle finals.

Read more about Hopkin's gold medal win at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Plum Garners Gold in First 3x3 Women's Basketball Competition

Kelsey Plum, a U of A graduate student in the College of Education and Health Professions, picked up the university's first medal of the Tokyo Olympiad as part of the U.S. women's gold medal 3x3 basketball team. 

This was the first time that 3x3 basketball was contested as an Olympic sport. The U.S. team lost only once during its nine games, defeating the Russian Olympic Committee in the final on July 28 by a score of 18-15. Plum scored five points during the team's gold medal game and 55 points over the course of all games. 

Plum competed in women's basketball as an undergraduate for the University of Washington while Mike Neighbors was head coach there. During her senior year, Plum scored 1,109 points, an NCAA women's basketball single season record. After graduation in 2017, she was the first pick of the WNBA draft, going to the San Antonio Stars, which became the Las Vegas Aces the next year. While attending the U of A, she is a graduate assistant for the women's Razorback basketball team.

The Olympic 3x3 team also included Stefanie Dolson, Allisha Gray and Jackie Young, all of whom also play in the WNBA.

Crouser Sets Olympic Record in Shotput Gold-Medal Win

Arkansas volunteer assistant Ryan Crouser successfully defended his Olympic gold medal with a stellar performance that was capped with an Olympic record throw of 76 feet, 5½ inches (23.30 meters), just two and three-quarters of an inch shy of the world record he set in June. Crouser also holds the world record for indoor shotput, set this spring at the U of A Randal Tyson Indoor Track Facility.

OTHER RAZORBACK COMPETITORS

Pole Vaulter Šutej Ties for Fifth in Pole Vault; Morris Injured, Withdraws

Alumna Tina Šutej, competing for Slovenia, made it through the qualifying rounds of the women's pole vault with a vault of 4.55 meters and finished tied for fifth in the finals with clearance of 4.5 meters. In the preliminaries, alumna Sandi Morris, the silver medal winner in 2016, cleared the 4.4-meter height, but in her first vault at the 4.55-meter mark, her pole snapped, dropping her immediately, where she landed half on the pad and half in the box. She suffered an injury in the landing and withdrew from competition after a second attempt.

Lopez, Fassi Finish in Top Forty for Women's Golf

Former Razorbacks Gaby López and Maria Fassi competed for Mexico in women's golf, but both finished out of medal contention. Fassi finished 23rd overall with 5 under par during the four round play at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, Japan. She struggled in the first round but improved with each new round. Fassi won the 2019 NCAA Individual Championship as a senior at Arkansas.

Lopez finished in 38th place with one under par. She was the runner-up for the 2015 NCAA Women's Golf Championship.

Scott-Efurd Runs Top Twenty in 10,000-Meter Race

Dominique Scott-Efurd, competing for South Africa, finished 20th in the 10,000-meter race on Saturday. She had earlier competed in the 5,000-meter race but failed to make the finals, finishing 13th in a crowded heat. 

Hari and Fellow Danes Make Semifinals in 4x100 Relay

Senior Kristoffer Hari ran for Denmark as part of the men's 4×100 relay. The team finish eight-hundredths of a second behind the United States during the first heat of the semifinals and didn't advance to the finals. Hari holds the Danish national record in the 60-meter dash and placed second in the 100-meter race at the Danish Championships in June to qualify.

Mowatt Eliminated in Hurdles Semifinals

Alumnus Kemar Mowatt, running for Jamaica, successfully made it through the preliminaries of the men's 400-meter hurdles on July 30 but was eliminated from competition during the semifinals on Sunday. Teammate Phillip Lemonious, a sophomore at the U of A who is also a hurdler, went as part of the Jamaican team's reserve athletes for the 110-meter hurdles.

Maloney Knocked Out of 800 in Prelims

Senior Shafiqua Maloney competed in the 800-meter run for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She finished seventh in her preliminary and was unable to advance to the semifinal round.

Coronavirus Prevents McKnight From Competing

Alumna Sparkle McKnight, who was expected to compete on July 30 in the women's 400-meter hurdles for Trinidad and Tobago, had to withdraw from the race after she tested positive for COVID-19.

Paralympics — Starts Aug. 24

Former Arkansas runner Hunter Woodhall won a bronze medal in the finals of the 400-meter dash for Team USA in the Tokyo Paralympics. He also competed in the 200-meter dash, finishing eighth overall. Woodhall previously won silver and bronze medals during the 2016 Paralympics.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3% of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.