Former Pitt Sprinter to Represent Kenya at Rio Olympics
8/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
PITTSBURGH – Former Pitt sprinter Carvin Nkanata will compete for Kenya in the 200-meter dash at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, held Aug. 5-21. The men’s 200m heats will begin Saturday, Aug. 16.
“It’s an incredible honor to be able to represent Kenya in the Olympics,” Nkanata said. “Hopefully I can continue to bring more attention to Kenya for sprints if I perform well in Rio.”
Nkanata, who ran for the Panthers from 2012-14, holds the Kenyan national record for the 200m with a 20.14 logged at the 2015 Pure Athletics Sprint Festival in Clermont, Fla. He was born and raised in South Carolina, but his father is a native of Kenya.
“Just about every athlete dreams of competing in the Olympic Games, but the percentage that are actually fortunate enough to compete at the world class level is relatively small,” Panthers head coach Alonzo Webb said. “To have one of our own recently graduated student-athletes representing Kenya and Pitt is exciting. I’m so proud of his accomplishment.”
Nkanata became the first Pitt track and field student-athlete to win an individual ACC title with the 200m medal at the 2014 Indoor Championships. He went on to finish third at the NCAA Indoor Championships and won a second 200m ACC title at the 2014 Outdoor Championships.
“Now that he is an Olympian I look forward to watching him fulfill his dream and goal of competing on the world stage against the best,” Webb said. “When he walks to the starting line in Rio all his former Pitt teammates and training partners will be there with him.”
Pitt’s track and field teams have produced 11 Olympians, the most by a Panther sports program. Below is a list of Pitt’s all-time track and field Olympians:
FRANK SHEA
United States of America
1920 — 440 Meters
DAN GWINN
United States of America
1928 — Hammer Throw
VIC PICKARD
Canada
1928 — Pole Vault
JOHN WOODRUFF
United States of America
1936 — 800 Meters (Gold Medal)
HERB DOUGLAS
United States of America
1948 — Long Jump (Bronze Medal)
ARNIE SOWELL
United States of America
1956 — 800 Meters
ROGER KINGDOM
United States of America
1984 — 110-Meter High Hurdles (Gold Medal)
1988 — 110-Meter High Hurdles (Gold Medal)
NAJUMA FLETCHER
Guyana
1992 — Heptathlon
AYNE ALLEN
St. Kitts
1996 — 4x400 Meter Relay
TRECIA-KAYE SMITH
Jamaica
2004 — Triple Jump
2008 — Triple Jump
2012 — Triple Jump
Carvin Nkanata
Kenya
2016 — 200 Meters
The 2016 Rio Olympics will be televised by NBC and its affiliates, with track and field events running Aug. 12-21. For full schedules and details on how to follow the games, visit NBCOlympics.com.
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