Tag: auburn Olympics

JT Thor scores seven points in loss to Team USA

The 6-9 forward hammered down 7 points in the 103-89 loss to Team USA.

After nearly upsetting the Stars & Stripes in an exhibition game a few weeks ago, the South Sudan Bright Stars had another chance to make history on Wednesday in the Olympic rematch. Unfortunately for former Auburn Tiger [autotag]JT Thor[/autotag] and his teammates Wednesday’s 103-86 loss was never very close.

Despite receiving the fourth most minutes out of all South Sudan players in the exhibition, Thor played just 15 minutes on Wednesday. However, he was able to put up some solid statistics in those limited minutes. The 6-9 forward hammered down 7 points while also providing the lightning on the defensive side with a block, a steal, and 4 rebounds.

Exhibition star Marial Shayok, who led all scorers with 24 in the one-point loss, scored just 12 points on 4-15 from the field on Wednesday. 29-year-old forward Nuni Omot scored the most out of any Bright Star, and any player in the game, with 24 of his own. As for Team USA, center Bam Adebayo and forward Kevin Durant led the way with 18 and 14 points, respectively.

South Sudan heads into a “win and you are in” showdown against Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Saturday. The winning country will secure the No. 2 spot in Group C behind USA, while the loser would finish third, behind Team USA, and the winning side, and ahead of Puerto Rico. Serbia’s current point differential (+15) gives it a likely spot as a “wild card” team in the quarterfinals even with a loss. At the same time, South Sudan (-6 ) could only afford to lose by a single point to stay ahead of Greece (-8) to capture the tiebreaker.

Thor and the Bright Stars will try to give South Sudan its first-ever knockout round bid on Saturday at 2 PM CST.

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JT Thor, South Sudan defeat Puerto Rico in first Olympic test

The former Tiger finished the contest with six points, seven rebounds, and a steal, block, and assist.

South Sudan’s basketball team won their first ever Olympic contest in the early hours of Sunday morning, defeating Puerto Rico 90-79 in the first round of Group Play.

The Bright Stars not only won their first game ever on the Paris Olympic Stage, but now are just one win away from securing a spot in the quarterfinal round.

Former Auburn Tiger[autotag]JT Thor[/autotag] did not end up starting the contest for his country, but he did play the third most minutes (23) out of all players on his squad. Thor was also on the floor when the momentum shifted in favor of South Sudan early in the second half. With the Bright Stars trailing by six coming out of the locker room, Thor provided more than half of his seven rebounds, a steal, and a block, to help his team enter the fourth quarter leading by two.

The 21-year-old finished the contest with six points, seven rebounds, and a steal, block, and assist. While Thor did his part, the real story came from South Sudan’s starting five, where four of five starters finished with at least 12 points. Carlik Jones, who secured a triple-double in the exhibition against Team USA a week ago, led the way with 19.

South Sudan now sit in second place in Group C with two games left to play. If the Bright Stars can find a way to get past one of Team USA or Serbia they are all but certain to secure a spot in the medal round. They will have the first chance to do that on July 31 in a rematch against Team USA at 2 PM CST.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Auburn in the Olympics: Annie Lazor (USA) advances to 200 breaststroke final

Here’s another update on Auburn’s action in Tokyo.

The following is a release from Auburn Athletics.

TOKYO, Japan – Annie Lazor finished third in the semifinals of the women’s 200 breaststroke Thursday morning in Tokyo and punched her ticket to the event final.

Lazor, who won the 200 breast at the U.S. Olympic Trials to make Team USA, finished the second semifinal in 2:21.94 – less than a second off her personal best (2:21.07) that she set at Trials. Lazor was fifth-fastest in Wednesday’s heats with a time of 2:22.76.

In the final, Lazor will have a chance to become just the third female swimmer in Auburn history to medal at the Olympic Games and the first since Kirsty Coventry (South Africa) and Margaret Hoelzer (USA) both made the podium in 2008. Lazor swam at Auburn from 2013 to 2016 and is still the third-fastest in program history in the 200 breaststroke.

The 200 breaststroke final featuring Lazor will take place Friday morning in Tokyo but fans can watch it live Thursday night at 8:41 p.m. CT on NBC.

Fellow Auburn alum Julie Meynen also made her Tokyo 2020 Olympics debut Wednesday in the women’s 100 freestyle where she finished 32nd in the heats at 55.69. It’s the second Olympics for Meynen who will swim the women’s 50 freestyle later in the week.

UP NEXT: THURSDAY, JULY 29

Gymnastics

Sunisa Lee (USA) – Women’s All-Around Final, 5:50 a.m. CT

Swimming

Santiago Grassi (Argentina) – Men’s 100 Fly Heats, 5:43 a.m. CT

Luis Martinez (Guatemala) – Men’s 100 Fly Heats, 5:43 a.m. CT

Santiago Grassi (Argentina) – Men’s 100 Fly Semifinals, 8:30 p.m. CT

Luis Martinez (Guatemala) – Men’s 100 Fly Semifinal, 8:30 p.m. CT

Annie Lazor (USA) – Women’s 200 Breast Final, 8:41 p.m. CT

Track & Field

Donald Thomas (Bahamas) – Men’s High Jump Qualifying, 7:15 p.m. CT

Zach Apple swims double with 100 free, 4×200 free relay

Auburn stays busy in Tokyo.

The following is from a release put out by Auburn Athletics.

Two days after winning a gold medal with the men’s U.S. 4×100 freestyle relay, Zach Apple swam two events during Wednesday morning’s session in Tokyo with the men’s 100 freestyle semifinals and the men’s 4×200 free relay final.

Apple placed 11th in the 100 free semifinals, and though he dropped time from the heats – going from 48.16 to 48.04 – it wasn’t enough to secure a spot in Thursday’s final.

In the 4×200 free relay, Apple and his teammates just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish behind Great Britain, ROC, and Australia. The Auburn record-holder in the 200 freestyle swam the third leg for Team USA who clocked a time of 7:02.43.

In the prior session, incoming transfer Adriel Sanes wrapped up his first Olympic Games with the men’s 200 breaststroke. Sanes, swimming for the U.S. Virgin Islands, finished 33rd overall at 2:16.87. He also swam the 100 breaststroke earlier in the week. Sanes is expected to arrive at Auburn next month and will swim for the Tigers in 2021-22.

Former Tigers Julie Meynen and Annie Lazor will make their Tokyo 2020 debut Wednesday with heats in the women’s 100 free (Meynen) and women’s 200 breaststroke (Lazor).

UP NEXT: WEDNESDAY, JULY 28

Swimming

Julie Meynen (Luxembourg) – Women’s 100 Free Heats, 5 a.m. CT

Annie Lazor (USA) – Women’s 200 Breast Heats, 5:36 a.m. CT

Julie Meynen (Luxembourg) – Women’s 100 Free Semifinals, 8:53 p.m. CT

Annie Lazor (USA) – Women’s 200 Breast Semifinals, 9:54 p.m. CT

Zach Apple wins gold with U.S. 4×100 free relay team

The Auburn Tigers are doing well in Tokyo!

TOKYO, Japan – Former Auburn swimmer Zach Apple pulled away on the final leg of the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay Tuesday morning to secure the gold medal for Team USA at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

It’s the first Olympic gold medal won by a current or former Auburn swimmer since the 2012 London Games when Tyler McGill and Eric Shanteau both won gold as part of Team USA’s 4×100 medley relay team.

Apple, who is second-fastest in Auburn history in the 100 freestyle, swam the anchor leg for the United States in both the heat and the final. The U.S. team finished the final with a time of 3:08.97, edging out Italy (3:10.11) and Australia (3:10.22) for first place.

Former Tiger Marcelo Chierighini also swam in Tuesday’s final, anchoring the Brazil relay team that took eighth, finishing in 3:13.41. It was the third Olympics for Chierighini, a 22-time All-American at Auburn from 2010-2014.

Swimming begins with Olympic debut from Adriel Sanes

Here’s an update for Auburn in Tokyo.

The swimming portion of the 2020 Olympic Games started Saturday from the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, and first up among the Auburn contingent in Tokyo was first-time Olympian Adriel Sanes swimming the men’s 100 breaststroke for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Sanes, an incoming transfer from the University of Denver, finished third in his heat and 42nd overall with a time of 1:02.43 – narrowly missing his personal best (1:02.41), which is also the record for the fastest time in U.S. Virgin Islands’ history.

It was the first of two events Sanes is competing in at the 2020 Olympics. He’s slated to swim the men’s 200 breaststroke on Tuesday with heats beginning at 5:50 a.m. CT.

In Friday’s Opening Ceremony, Sanes served as the flag bearer for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Swimming begins with Olympic debut from Adriel Sanes

Here’s an update for Auburn in Tokyo.

The swimming portion of the 2020 Olympic Games started Saturday from the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, and first up among the Auburn contingent in Tokyo was first-time Olympian Adriel Sanes swimming the men’s 100 breaststroke for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Sanes, an incoming transfer from the University of Denver, finished third in his heat and 42nd overall with a time of 1:02.43 – narrowly missing his personal best (1:02.41), which is also the record for the fastest time in U.S. Virgin Islands’ history.

It was the first of two events Sanes is competing in at the 2020 Olympics. He’s slated to swim the men’s 200 breaststroke on Tuesday with heats beginning at 5:50 a.m. CT.

In Friday’s Opening Ceremony, Sanes served as the flag bearer for the U.S. Virgin Islands.