Team USA rower Amanda Elmore (left) won a gold medal in the women's eight
Michigan at the 2016 Rio Olympics
Twenty-five athletes with ties to the University of Michigan competed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, representing 10 Olympic teams across seven sports.
Highlighting the accomplishments from Wolverines were rower Amanda Elmore, who struck gold with the United States women's eight to become the U-M rowing program's first Olympic gold medalist, and swimmer Connor Jaeger, who took silver in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle. In his fourth Olympics, Nick Willis won bronze in the men's 1,500-meter run for his second career Olympic medal, while Shelina Zadorsky, Michigan's first soccer Olympian, helped the Canada to the women's soccer bronze.
Former U-M volunteer coach Michael Phelps added to his legacy in the swimming pool, collecting five gold medals and one silver while competing in three individual events and three relays in his fifth Olympics. In addition, U-M engineering student Zach Burns won a rowing silver medal at the Paralympics as part of the Team USA's LTA (legs, trunk and arms) mixed coxed four.
Medal Winners
- Women's Rowing
United States - Gold: Women's Eight
- Men's Swimming
United States - Silver: 1,500m Freestyle
- Men's Track
New Zealand - Bronze: 1,500m Run
- Women's Soccer
Canada - Bronze
- Men's Swimming
United States - Six Medals (5 gold, 1 silver)
- Rowing (Paralympics)
United States - Silver: LTA Mixed Coxed Four
Photo Credits: USA Today Sports Images (Jaeger, Phelps, Willis); Row2K (Elmore); personal (Zadorsky, Burns)
Sport Updates
Bronze medalist Nick Willis (far right) and Nate Brannen (far left) in the 1,500-meter run final
