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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The 2016 Summer Olympics begin Friday, Aug. 5 with the opening ceremonies at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The celebration includes a formal ceremony signifying the opening of the international event, welcome speeches by Olympic dignitaries, and a parade of athletes. More than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries will chase Olympic gold from Aug. 6-21. Four of those athletes are University of Iowa letterwinners. Their events, with dates, times, and web streaming links are below. Listed by order of competition.
HOURY GEBESHIAN | REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA | GYMANSTICS |ALL-AROUND
Qualifying: Aug. 7, 7:45 a.m. CT
Live Stream
A dual citizen of the United States and Republic of Armenia, Gebeshian earned an Olympic berth following a performance at the Olympic Test Event inside the Rio Olympic Arena in April. She is the first and only female gymnast representing the Republic of Armenia. Gebeshian is heading to the Game after narrowly missing a berth in 2012, when she suffered an injury and missed qualifying for the London Olympics by three positions.
Gebeshian competed for the Hawkeyes from 2008-11. She earned three All-Big Ten honors in her career, including first-team recognition in 2009 and second team honors in 2010 and 2011. She was a Big Ten champion on balance beam and a three-time Academic All-American.
DIANE NUKURI | BURUNDI | TRACK & FIELD | 10,000 METERS
Finals: Aug. 12, 9:10 a.m. CT
Live Stream
Nukuri is an Olympic veteran, having competed in the 5,000-meters in Sydney, Australia at the 2000 Games, and the marathon in London, England, at the 2012 Olympic Games. She is representing Burundi for the third time in her career. She placed 45th as a 15-year-old in 2000, and 31st in 2012, when she was her country’s flag-bearer in the opening ceremonies.
Nukuri was a three-time All-American competing for the Hawkeyes from 2006-08. She won Big Ten titles in cross country (2007) and the outdoor 5,000-meters (2008). She holds the school records in eight events and was the Iowa Female Athlete of the Year in 2008.
TROY DORIS | REPUBLIC OF GUYANA | TRACK & FIELD |TRIPLE JUMP
Qualifying: Aug. 15, 7:50 a.m. CT
Finals: Aug. 16, 7:50 a.m. CT
Live Stream
Doris is the first Hawkeye male track and field athlete to compete in the Olympics since Anthuan Maybank won a gold medal as a member of the 1,600-meter relay at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Georgia. He trained at the United State Olympic Training Center from 2012-15 before switching allegiances to the Republic of Guyana, the native country of his parents. His Olympic qualifying standard in the triple jump earned him a spot on the Guyanese national team.
Doris was a four-time Big Ten Conference champion in the triple jump from 2011-12. He competed in just four conference championships, and won gold each time. His first-place finish in 2011 helped Iowa win the men’s Big Ten outdoor team title. Doris was a four-time All-American, placing as high as fourth at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships.
DANIEL DENNIS | UNITED STATES | FREESTYLE WRESTLING | 57 KG
Qualifications: Aug. 19, 8 a.m. CT
Finals: Aug. 19, 4:30 CT
Live Stream
Dennis is the 16th Hawkeye wrestler in program history to advance to the Olympics, and the first since Mike Zadick and Doug Schwab competed at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Dennis made the Olympic team by winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 9. He defeated former Hawkeye Tony Ramos in the best-of-three finals, 2-0 (2-1, 10-0).
Dennis was a two-time All-American competing for the Hawkeyes from 2005-10. He placed seventh at the NCAA Championships as a junior in 2009, and was NCAA runner-up at 133 pounds as a senior in 2010. He was a member of three NCAA and Big Ten championship teams.
