University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners at Paris 2024 Olympics
July 24, 2024 | Athletics, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Men's Gymnastics, Track and Field, Women's Basketball
Six current or former University of Oklahoma student-athletes are set to earn their Olympic rings at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Abraham Acer (men's golf, Mexico), Emre Dodanli (men's gymnastics, Turkey), James Fraschilla (3x3 men's basketball assistant coach, USA), Ralford Mullings (men's track & field, discus throw, Jamaica), Abi Olajuwon (women's basketball assistant coach, Nigeria) and Vernon Turner (men's track and field, high jump, USA) begin their Olympic journey starting Friday, July 26.
The Opening Ceremony will be shown Friday at 12:30 p.m. CT on NBC, marking the official start of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. The Olympics are scheduled to run through the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 11.
2013 Oklahoma graduate Abraham Ancer competes in his second consecutive Olympic Games in 2024.
The six representatives at the Tokyo Games bring Oklahoma's total to 87 current or former Sooners from 12 different countries who have participated in the Olympics. OU has had at least one representative in each of the last 22 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.
Sooner Olympic Storylines
updated Aug. 8
Dodanli Makes Olympic Debut
Oklahoma gymnast Emre Dodanli can now and forever will be able to boast the title of "Olympian." Dodanli finished 31st in the all-around in his first Olympics appearance and helped lead Turkey to a ninth-place finish in the team qualifier on Saturday at Bercy Arena.
A product of Turkey by way of Milton, Ontario, Dodanli is approaching his senior season at OU in 2024-25, but registered quite an accomplished summer, capped by his Olympics debut. Read More
Oklahoma's Own Turner Represents Team USA in High Jump
Vernon Turner added Olympian to his long list of accomplishments when he competed Wednesday, Aug. 7 at the Paris 2024 Games. Turner leaped 2.15m in the qualification round.
Turner capped one of the most decorated careers for an OU track and field athlete when in 2023, graduating as the 2022 NCAA indoor high jump national champion, eight-time All-American, five-time Big 12 champion and the school record holder for indoor and and outdoor high jump.
Turner, a product of Yukon, Okla., is the only Oklahoman set to compete for Team USA across all sports in Paris. The former Sooner competes in the high jump qualifying round on Aug. 7 with a chance to compete in the final on Aug. 10.
Former Sooners Make Olympic Coaching Debuts
Former Oklahoma basketball student-athletes James Fraschilla (2012-15) and Abi Olajuwon (2006-10) made their Olympic coaching debuts in Paris as part of the 3x3 men's basketball team and Nigeria women's basketball team, respectively.
Fraschilla, currently an assistant coach for the Washington Wizard's NBA G League Affiliate, Capital City, has served as an assistant with the U.S. 3x3 team for two years. A walk-on for the Sooners, Fraschilla appeared in 27 games over four seasons and was part of the 2015 Sweet Sixteen squad.
Olajuwon, a current assistant with the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, made her Olympic debut as an assistant with Team Nigeria, helping the country to its first ever quarterfinal appearance in men's or women's basketball in the Olympics. Olajuwon played in over 100 career games as a Sooner and was a member of the 2009 and 2010 Final Four teams. The former Sooner walks in her father Hakeem's footsteps on the Olympic court, a gold medalist with Team USA at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
Ancer Competes in Second Straight Games
Golfer Abraham Ancer represented OU in his second consecutive Olympic Games for Team Mexico.
Ancer, a 2013 OU alum and winner on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf Tour, finished 14th in the men's golf tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He finished T35th in Paris.
Mullings Makes Discus Final
Rising senior Ralford Mullings is OU's only current track and field student-athlete to compete in Paris as he advanced to the men's discus throw final with a throw of 65.18m in the qualification round to rank seventh overall heading to finals. Mullings competed in the finals on Aug. 7, finishing ninth overall with a best throw of 65.61m.
A U-20 world silver medalist, Mullings ranked in the top 25 in the world for men's discus entering the Olympics. He held the world lead with a throw of 69.67m earlier this year, becoming just the second Jamaican man to achieve the Olympic standard in the event.
Watch the 2024 Olympic Games on NBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, CNBC, E! or stream on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC App or the NBC Olympics App.
How to Watch | Full Olympic Schedule | Sooner Olympians
Sooners at Paris 2024 Schedule
| Date | Sooner (Sport) | Event | Time (CT) | Coverage/Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 27 | Emre Dodanli (men's gymnastics) | Team Qualification (Subdivision 3) | 1 p.m. | Recap |
| July 29 | Abi Olajuwon (women's basketball) | Nigeria vs. Australia (Women's Group B) | 4 a.m. | W, 75-62 |
| July 30 | James Fraschilla (3x3 men's basketball) | USA vs. Serbia (Pool Play) | 3:35 p.m. | L, 22-14 |
| July 31 | James Fraschilla (3x3 men's basketball) | USA vs. Poland (Pool Play) | 3:35 p.m. | L, 19-17 |
| Aug. 1 | Abraham Ancer (men's golf) | Round 1 | 3:44 a.m. | 70 (-1); T29 |
| Abi Olajuwon (women's basketball) | France vs. Nigeria (Women's Group B) | 10:15 a.m. | L, 75-54 | |
| James Fraschilla (3x3 men's basketball) | USA vs. Lithuania (Pool Play) | 12:05 p.m. | L, 20-18 | |
| James Fraschilla (3x3 men's basketball) | USA vs. Latvia (Pool Play) | 4:05 p.m. | L, 21-19 | |
| Aug. 2 | Abraham Ancer (men's golf) | Round 2 | 5:39 a.m. | 71 (E); T35 |
| James Fraschilla (3x3 men's basketball) | USA vs. France (Pool Play) | 11:35 a.m. | W, 21-19 | |
| James Fraschilla (3x3 men's basketball) | USA vs. China (Pool Play) | 3:35 p.m. | W, 21-17 | |
| Aug. 3 | Abraham Ancer (men's golf) | Round 3 | 2 a.m. | 71 (E); T35 |
| Aug. 4 | Abraham Ancer (men's golf) | Final Round | 2 a.m. | 70 (-1); T35 |
| Abi Olajuwon (women's basketball) | Canada vs. Nigeria (Women's Group B) | 6:30 a.m. | W, 79-70 - Advances to quarterfinal | |
| James Fraschilla (3x3 men's basketball) | USA vs. Netherlands (Pool Play) | 12:05 p.m. | L, 6-21 | |
| Aug. 5 | Ralford Mullings (track & field) | Discus Throw: Qualification | 3:10 a.m. | 5th; 65.18m - Advances to final |
| Aug. 7 | Vernon Turner (track & field) | High Jump: Qualification | 3 a.m. | 14th; 2.15m |
| Ralford Mullings (track & field) | Discus Throw Final | 1:20 p.m. | 9th; 65.61m | |
| Abi Olajuwon (women's basketball) | Nigeria vs. United States (Quarterfinal) | 2:30 p.m. | L, 88-74 |
Players Mentioned
