University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners in Tokyo
July 20, 2021 | Athletics, Men's Golf, Men's Gymnastics, Track and Field, Softball
Five former University of Oklahoma student-athletes are set to earn their Olympic rings at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Abraham Ancer (men's golf, Mexico), Nicole Mendes (softball, Mexico), Yul Moldauer (men's gymnastics, USA), Ama Pipi (women's track, Great Britain) and Sydney Romero (softball, Mexico) begin their Olympic journey starting July 21 when softball kicks off the 2020 Games.
The opening ceremony will be shown Friday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m. CT on NBC, marking the official start of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad. The Olympics are scheduled to run through Sunday, Aug. 8.
World medalist and 2019 OU alum Yul Moldauer headlines OU's contingent in Tokyo.
The five Olympians at the Tokyo Games bring Oklahoma's total to 82 current or former Sooners (77 athletes and five head coaches) from 11 different countries who have participated in the Olympics. OU has had at least one representative in each of the last 21 Summer Games. The largest contingent of Sooners to participate in a single Olympics was nine in 2012.
Sooners have collected a total of 23 medals all time, including 13 golds, seven silver and three bronze. OU's most decorated Olympics came in 1984 when Bart Conner (men's gymnastics), Dave & Mark Schultz (wrestling) and Wayman Tisdale (men's basketball) combined to win a total of five gold medals.
OU also sent two Olympic alternates to Tokyo in Allan Bower (USA gymnastics) and Keilani Ricketts (USA softball). Joining Bower as part of Team USA's coaching delegation is current OU head coach Mark Williams. Williams will be making his sixth appearance at the Olympics, every Games since 2000. He served as the head coach of the U.S. team in Rio in 2016. Rounding out the Sooners' representation in Tokyo is OU Director of PROS Dr. Cody Commander, the Mental Health Officer for all of Team USA.
NBC Coverage Lineup | Full Olympic Schedule | Sooner Olympians
Sooners in Tokyo Schedule
| Date | Sooner (Sport) | Event | Time (CT) | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 21 | Nicole Mendes, Sydney Romero (softball) | Mexico vs. Canada | 1 a.m. | NBCSN / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App |
| Nicole Mendes, Sydney Romero (softball) | Mexico vs. Japan | 10 p.m. | NBCSN / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App | |
| July 24 | Nicole Mendes, Sydney Romero (softball) | Mexico vs. USA | 12:30 a.m. | NBCSN / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App |
| Yul Moldauer (men's gymnastics) | Team Qualification (Subdivision 3) | 5:30 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App; NBC Tape Delay at 1:45 p.m. & 7p.m. | |
| July 25 | Nicole Mendes, Sydney Romero (softball) | Mexico vs. Italy | 6 a.m. | NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App |
| July 26 | Nicole Mendes, Sydney Romero (softball) | Mexico vs. Australia | 6 a.m. | NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App |
| Nicole Mendes, Sydney Romero (softball) | Bronze Medal Game | 11 p.m. | CNBC / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App | |
| Yul Moldauer (men's gymnastics) | Team Final | 5 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App | |
| July 28-31 | Abraham Ancer (men's golf) | Men's Golf | 5:30 p.m. | Golf Channel |
| July 30 | Ama Pipi (track & field) | Mixed 4x400 Relay Round 1 | 6 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App |
| July 31 | Ama Pipi (track & field) | Mixed 4x400 Relay Finals | 7:35 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App; NBC Tape Delay at 7 p.m. |
| Aug. 1 | Yul Moldauer (men's gymnastics) | Floor Exercise Finals | 3 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App; NBC Tape Delay at 9:45 a.m. |
| Ama Pipi (track & field) | Women's 400M Round 1 | 7:45 p.m. | CNBC and/or NBC / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App | |
| Aug. 4 | Ama Pipi (track & field) | Women's 400M Semfinal | 5:30 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App |
| Aug. 5 | Ama Pipi (track & field) | Women's 4x400 Relay Round 1 | 5:25 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App |
| Aug. 6 | Ama Pipi (track & field) | Women's 400M Final | 7:35 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App; NBC Tape Delay in primetime |
| Aug. 7 | Ama Pipi (track & field) | Women's 4x400 Relay Final | 7:30 a.m. | Peacock / NBCOlympics.com / NBC Sports App; NBC Tape Delay in primetime |
