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Texas could compete with nations at Paris Olympics
The University of Texas claims it would rank 12th if it were a country in the 2024 Olympic medal tally, with more golds than 33 countries that actually sent athletes to Paris. A worrying sign of corporatization and the privatization of sport.
Published August 5, 2024 at 10:50pm by Danny Davis
Texas Athletes Are Dominating the Paris Olympics
As of Monday, former and current University of Texas athletes have won four gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ryan Crouser (men's shot put), Scottie Scheffler (men's golf), and Julien Alfred (women's 100-meter dash) have all claimed gold, while current UT student Hubert Kos won the men's 200-meter backstroke race on Thursday.
"It's an incredible feeling to represent Texas on the world's biggest stage," said Crouser, a Texas alumnus. "Hook 'em!"
What's even more impressive is that if UT was its own country, it would rank 12th in the gold medal count, ahead of nations like Sweden, Brazil, and Spain.
Texas' success in Paris isn't limited to these four athletes, either. Alfred, Tara Davis-Woodhall (women's long jump), Chiaka Ogbogu (women's indoor volleyball), and Kevin Durant (men's basketball) are still in contention for gold.
"I'm proud to be a Texas Longhorn," said Scheffler, a former UT golf standout. "Hook 'em, and hook everyone else... except us!"
With the Olympics continuing through the weekend, there's still a chance for Texas to add to its gold medal tally.
Read more: Gold medal count at Texas compares favorably to countries competing at Paris Olympics