University of Minnesota Athletics
Smith, Plummer Race on Sunday
8/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Two Golden Gophers will get in the water for their first Olympic Games races this Sunday. Canadian breaststroke specialist Kierra Smith qualified in both the 100- and 200-meter events, and American backstroke specialist David Plummer will swim the 100.
Smith is the only current Gopher student-athlete competing in Rio. She took the 2015-16 season off to train and will return to Minnesota for her senior year this fall. Smith won both the 100 (1:06.93) and 200 (2:23.91) breast at Canadian Olympic Trials. Both of those times were her best in 2016, and the 100-meter time was a lifetime best and school record. Smith swam a school-record time of 2:22.82 in the 200 last year. She holds Canada's top time in the 200 (14th in the world) and Canada's second-best time in the 100 (20th in the world) for the year 2016.
Plummer, a 2008 graduate, holds the top 100 back time in the world in 2016. He posted a 52.12 in Olympic Trials semi-finals. The second-best time in the world belongs to Ryan Murphy, who out-touched Plummer in the final in 52.26. Australia's Mitch Larkin posted a 52.54 this year to rank third. The holders of the fourth and fifth best times, gold medalist Matt Grevers and Jacob Pebley, lost out to Murphy and Plummer at U.S. Trials. Swimming World's prediction has Plummer winning bronze, but any of these contenders has a chance at gold.
Both Smith and Plummer may swim in prelims or finals of the 4x100-meter relay.
Plummer and Smith are two of seven Gophers competing in Rio this summer and among the dozens of Gopher Olympians to compete over the Games' history. Please help support the next Gopher Olympian by giving to our Olympic sports programs. Click here for more information or to give today.
Schedule of Events That Include, or Could Include, Gophers
*Prelims sessions begin at 11 a.m. CT and semi-finals/finals sessions begin at 8 p.m. CT
Sunday, Aug. 7
Men's 100-meter backstroke prelims and semi-finals
Women's 100-meter breaststroke prelims and semi-finals
Monday, Aug. 8
Men's 100-meter backstroke final
Women's 100-meter breaststroke final
Wednesday, Aug. 10
Women's 200-meter breaststroke prelims and semi-finals
Thursday, Aug. 11
Women's 200-meter breaststroke final
Friday, Aug. 12
Men's and women's 4x100-meter medley relay prelims
Saturday, Aug. 13
Men's and women's 4x100-meter medley relay final
Gopher Olympians in the Media
Good luck to @GopherSwimDive senior Kierra Smith at this year's Summer Olympics. #RioBound https://t.co/q8959bPbDz
-- Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) August 3, 2016
I made it onto buzzfeed. Does this mean I'm hip? https://t.co/xmfVSWiCjq
-- David Plummer (@davideplummer) July 31, 2016
Hey guys it's my first time. Are the Olympics SCM and no one told me??? pic.twitter.com/WIrCp40M4C
-- Kierra Smith (@kierras) July 30, 2016
Players Mentioned
