Six UKTF Athletes Advance to Next Round at Olympic Games

Six University of Kentucky Track & Field athletes made significant strides on Wednesday at the Olympic Games, with three of them advancing to their first-ever Olympic finals. Alumni Daniel Roberts and Alexis Holmes earned spots in the finals of the 110m hurdles and 400m, respectively, while incoming Wildcat Tapiwanashe Makarawu qualified for the final of the 200m. Additionally, Kentucky’s trio of short hurdlers—Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Masai Russell, and Devynne Charlton (Volunteer Assistant Coach/Purdue Alum)—progressed to the semifinals of the 100m hurdles.

In the spirit of “Hurdle U,” the day began with three Wildcats advancing to the semifinals of the 100m hurdles. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist, led the charge by winning her heat with a time of 12.42 seconds, the top qualifying mark from the event’s first round. Representing Puerto Rico, the Olympic record holder dominated her section from start to finish, securing an automatic spot in the semifinals.

Masai Russell followed closely, finishing third in the preliminaries with a time of 12.53 seconds. The American, who holds the world’s fastest time in the 100m hurdles this season, won her heat in a photo finish, clinching an automatic qualification to Friday’s semifinal with a strong lean at the line.

Devynne Charlton, the third Wildcat to compete, posted the ninth fastest time of the morning at 12.71 seconds. The Bahamian athlete, who holds the world record in the 60m hurdles, finished second in her heat, also earning an automatic advancement. The 100m hurdles semifinals will take place on Friday, August 9, at 6:05 a.m. ET.

In the evening session, Daniel Roberts secured his first career Olympic final in the 110m hurdles. His time of 13.10 seconds was the third fastest among all semifinalists, setting him up for a chance at gold in Thursday’s final. The 2019 Kentucky graduate finished second in his heat, earning automatic qualification for the medal race. Roberts will compete in the final on Thursday, August 8, at 3:45 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, as the 2023 World bronze medalist aims for his first Olympic medal.

Tapiwanashe Makarawu, an incoming transfer from New Mexico Junior College, joined Roberts as an Olympic finalist by qualifying for Thursday’s 200m final on time. The Zimbabwean national record holder placed seventh overall with a time of 20.16 seconds, finishing third in his semifinal heat and advancing as the first of two non-automatic qualifiers. Makarawu, the 2024 African Championships silver medalist, will race for Olympic gold on Thursday, August 8, at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Alexis Holmes capped off the night by becoming the third Wildcat to earn a spot in her first career Olympic final. She secured a “big Q” out of her 400m semifinal heat, finishing seventh overall across the three heats. Holmes made a strong move in the final 100 meters, advancing from fifth to second in her section to automatically qualify for the final. The American will compete in the 400m final on Friday, August 9, at 2:00 p.m. ET.

In addition to Roberts and Makarawu, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will return to the track on Thursday, contesting the final of the 400m hurdles at 3:25 p.m. ET. The defending gold medalist will look to replicate her Tokyo success. All three finals can be viewed on NBC and Peacock.

A full event schedule for Kentucky athletes is listed below.

Event Schedule