University of Minnesota Athletics
Mead, Blankenship Set for Rio
8/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Link: Golden Gophers in the Olympics
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - Gopher greats Hassan Mead and Ben Blankenship are set for competition at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Mead (5,000 meters) and Blankenship (1,500 meters) - both competing for the U.S. contingency -- will be the 12th and 13th Olympic competitors for the University of Minnesota men's track & field and cross country program and the first Gophers at the Olympics since Staffan Strand (Sweden, high jump) and Vesa Rantanen (Finland, pole vault) in 2004. The pair are the first Americans to represent the Maroon & Gold since current Director of Men's Track & Field and Cross Country Steve Plasencia (10,000 meters) and Ron Backes (shot put) in 1992.
5,000 Meters Preview (Hassan Mead)
Round 1: Aug. 17 | 10:05 a.m. CT | Watch
Final: Aug. 20 | 9:30 p.m. CT | Watch
A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Mead ran 13:35.70 and finished second in the 5,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials to punch a ticket to his first Olympic competition.
An eight-time All-American and a nine-time Big Ten champion for the Gophers, Mead still owns Minnesota records in the outdoor 10,000 meters (28:12.74), the outdoor 5,000 meters (13:28.45), the indoor 5,000 meters (13:33.42) and the 8,000 meters in cross country (23:29). Mead made his international debut for Team USA at the 2015 IIAF World Championships in Beijing, China - finishing 15th in the 10,000 meters.
1,500 Meter Preview (Ben Blankenship)
Round 1: Aug. 16 | 8:30 a.m. CT | Watch
Semifinals: Aug. 18 | 6:52 p.m. CT | Watch
Final: Aug. 20 | 7:00 p.m. CT | Watch
A native of Stillwater, Minn., Blankenship also qualified for his first Olympics with a third-place showing in the 1,500 meters last month at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - clocking a 3:36.18.
A four-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten honoree for the Gophers, Blankenship won three individual conference crowns while helping the program to five total Big Ten titles. He still holds the school record for the indoor mile (3:57.87), the indoor 3,000 meters (7:52.52) and the outdoor 1,500 meters (3:39.77). Blankenship anchored the U.S. distance medley relay squad to a new world record (9:15.50) at the 2015 IAAF/BTC World Relays and set a new course record (3:55.8) to win the 2016 Medtronic TC One Mile earlier this year.
Plasencia on Mead and Blankenship
"To have Hassan and Ben both qualify for the Olympics is really something special. It's a testament to both of them as well as their current coaches and support systems. They were great competitors when they were with us, and they just keep getting better and better."
