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#USC2Paris Olympics Recap (Day 16): Three Golds, One Silver and Two Bronze Medals For Trojans Today In Track, Women’s Water Polo and Soccer
August 10, 2024 | USC Athletics, Track & Field, Women's Water Polo, Olympics
First gold medals for Spain’s Anni Espar in water polo and USA’s Croix Bethune in soccer, while Rai Benjamin gets his third career gold.
PARIS, FRANCE — USC had its most medal-packed day in Paris with a set of six Olympic medals earned by Trojans today. The first of the day to step on a podium were women's water polo stars Anni Espar and Tilly Kearns, with USC alum Espar claiming Spain's first gold medal. A current Trojan, Kearns now has her first Olympic medal with a silver. A couple hours later, USC grad Croix Bethune was holding gold as a member of Team USA women's soccer, which beat Brazil. In the final track events of these 2024 Games, Trojans would continue to shine bright. Rai Benjamin claimed his second gold in Paris and third of his career in anchoring Team USA to victory in the men's 4x400m relay. And capping off the athletics action, Nicole Yeargin helped push Canada to the podium with her work in the Canadian relay's third-place finish for her second bronze in Paris. Her fellow Trojan Yemi John also captured bronze as a member of Great Britain's preliminary relay group. See below for full results and statistics for USC athletes in Paris today.
TROJAN MEDALS IN PARIS (through Aug. 10):
Gold: 7 | Silver: 2 | Bronze: 4
Gold: 7 | Silver: 2 | Bronze: 4
August 10 Recap
Women's Water Polo
Gold Medal Game: Spain
• Playing in her fourth Olympic Games, two-time silver medalist Anni Espar scored two goals and added a steal and a field block for Spain in its gold-medal win over Australia. It's Espar's first GOLD medal after having won silvers in 2012 and 2020 and also the first-ever gold for Spain.
• Playing in her second Olympic Games, current Trojan Tilly Kearns had a steal and earned numerous exclusions for her Australia team, earning her first Olympic medal with a SILVER in today's loss to Spain.
Bronze Medal Game: Netherlands 11, USA 10
• Incoming freshman and first-time Olympian Emily Ausmus scored Team USA's fifth goal of the game in the bronze-medal game, which the Netherlands won on a last-second shot.
• Playing in her third Olympic Games, alum Kaleigh Gilchrist scored Team USA's seventh goal and added a steal, rebound and field block in today's bronze-medal loss to the Dutch.
• Two-time NCAA champion and Olympian Amanda Longan did not play for Team USA in today's bronze-medal game.
7th Place Game: Greece 19, Canada 10
• First-time Olympian and NCAA champion Verica Bakoc scored a goal and added a steal in Canada's loss to Greece, closing Canada's run in Paris with an eighth-place finish at the Games.
• Two-time Olympian and NCAA champion Hayley McKelvey scored two goals and had a steal in Canada's final game in Paris.
4x400 Relay Final
• Two-time Olympian Rai Benjamin (USA) ran the anchor leg for Team USA to help win GOLD in a time of 2:54.43. It's Benjamin's second Olympic gold with the USA in this event, and goes along with gold won yesterday in the 400m hurdles and a silver in that even in 2020.
4x400 Relay Final
• A two-time Olympian, Nicole Yeargin (Great Britain) ran the third leg of Great Britain's relay to help her nation win BRONZE with a time of 3:18.92. It's Yeargin's second bronze medal in Paris, going along with Great Britain's 4x400 mixed relay.
• A first-time Olympian, Yemi John (Great Britain) did not run in today's final for Great Britain, but earns her first Olympic medal with a BRONZE after having helped her nation qualify for the final with her participation in the preliminary heats.
• A two-time Olympian, Kyra Constantine (Canada) ran the third leg for Canada in today's final race, finishing sixth overall in a time of 3:22.01.
Women's Soccer
Gold Medal Game: USA 1, Brazil 0
• Former Trojan and first-time Olympian Croix Bethune earns GOLD as an alternate for Team USA after today's gold-medal win over Brazil.
NEXT UP:
Tomorrow (Sunday, Aug. 11), Olympic competition comes to a close with one last medal within reach for Trojans in the pool. Men's water polo is the final action in which USC will have athletes competing on the last day of these Paris Olympics, with Team USA's Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic looking to earn their first medals as the United States meets Hungary in the bronze-medal game. Five other Trojans will be participating in placement games. Australia plays for seventh place with Trojans Blake Edwards, Lachlan Edwards, Jacob Mercep and Nic Porter capped up for the Sharks against Italy. In the fifth-place game, Olympic veteran and three-time NCAA champion Kostas Genidounias caps up for Greece in a battle with Spain. USC is also anticipating the start of the Paralympic Games in Paris (Aug. 28-Sept. 8), which will feature incoming Trojan track star Ezra Frech competing for Team USA and USC alum Cindy Ouellet back for another Games for Canada in women's wheelchair basketball. For more information, results and stories covering USC's Trojans in Paris, visit https://olympics.usctrojans.com
Women's Water Polo
Gold Medal Game: Spain
• Playing in her fourth Olympic Games, two-time silver medalist Anni Espar scored two goals and added a steal and a field block for Spain in its gold-medal win over Australia. It's Espar's first GOLD medal after having won silvers in 2012 and 2020 and also the first-ever gold for Spain.
• Playing in her second Olympic Games, current Trojan Tilly Kearns had a steal and earned numerous exclusions for her Australia team, earning her first Olympic medal with a SILVER in today's loss to Spain.
Bronze Medal Game: Netherlands 11, USA 10
• Incoming freshman and first-time Olympian Emily Ausmus scored Team USA's fifth goal of the game in the bronze-medal game, which the Netherlands won on a last-second shot.
• Playing in her third Olympic Games, alum Kaleigh Gilchrist scored Team USA's seventh goal and added a steal, rebound and field block in today's bronze-medal loss to the Dutch.
• Two-time NCAA champion and Olympian Amanda Longan did not play for Team USA in today's bronze-medal game.
7th Place Game: Greece 19, Canada 10
• First-time Olympian and NCAA champion Verica Bakoc scored a goal and added a steal in Canada's loss to Greece, closing Canada's run in Paris with an eighth-place finish at the Games.
• Two-time Olympian and NCAA champion Hayley McKelvey scored two goals and had a steal in Canada's final game in Paris.
🥇Anni gets her gold! 🥇 🇪🇸#USC2Paris ✌️ #FightOn#OlympiansMadeHere
— USC Water Polo (@USCWaterPolo) August 10, 2024
📸: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP pic.twitter.com/jQfDZtTKtN
Men's Athletics🥈Tilly scores 𝚂𝙸𝙻𝚅𝙴𝚁 in Paris! 🥈🇦🇺#USC2Paris ✌️ #FightOn#OlympiansMadeHere
— USC Water Polo (@USCWaterPolo) August 10, 2024
📸: Amber Searls / @usatodaysports pic.twitter.com/1sGQp4I7M3
4x400 Relay Final
• Two-time Olympian Rai Benjamin (USA) ran the anchor leg for Team USA to help win GOLD in a time of 2:54.43. It's Benjamin's second Olympic gold with the USA in this event, and goes along with gold won yesterday in the 400m hurdles and a silver in that even in 2020.
Women's AthleticsOLYMPIC 4x400 RECORD!@_Kingben_ is HIM.#USC2Paris | #OlympiansMadeHere pic.twitter.com/iqHmfB4DbF
— USC Track & Field / XC (@USC_Track_Field) August 10, 2024
4x400 Relay Final
• A two-time Olympian, Nicole Yeargin (Great Britain) ran the third leg of Great Britain's relay to help her nation win BRONZE with a time of 3:18.92. It's Yeargin's second bronze medal in Paris, going along with Great Britain's 4x400 mixed relay.
• A first-time Olympian, Yemi John (Great Britain) did not run in today's final for Great Britain, but earns her first Olympic medal with a BRONZE after having helped her nation qualify for the final with her participation in the preliminary heats.
• A two-time Olympian, Kyra Constantine (Canada) ran the third leg for Canada in today's final race, finishing sixth overall in a time of 3:22.01.
USC alums @yourfitnic and @yemi_mary1 help Great Britain win BRONZE in the 4x400! 🇬🇧🥉#USC2Paris | #OlympiansMadeHere pic.twitter.com/LArYqSnZN0
— USC Track & Field / XC (@USC_Track_Field) August 10, 2024
Women's Soccer
Gold Medal Game: USA 1, Brazil 0
• Former Trojan and first-time Olympian Croix Bethune earns GOLD as an alternate for Team USA after today's gold-medal win over Brazil.
It's 𝔾𝕆𝕃𝔻 for @CroixBethune and the @USWNT! 🥇🇺🇸✌️ #Congrats 🙌#FightOn x #USC2Paris pic.twitter.com/7vF6oj8rEU
— USC Women's Soccer (@USC_WSoccer) August 10, 2024
NEXT UP:
Tomorrow (Sunday, Aug. 11), Olympic competition comes to a close with one last medal within reach for Trojans in the pool. Men's water polo is the final action in which USC will have athletes competing on the last day of these Paris Olympics, with Team USA's Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic looking to earn their first medals as the United States meets Hungary in the bronze-medal game. Five other Trojans will be participating in placement games. Australia plays for seventh place with Trojans Blake Edwards, Lachlan Edwards, Jacob Mercep and Nic Porter capped up for the Sharks against Italy. In the fifth-place game, Olympic veteran and three-time NCAA champion Kostas Genidounias caps up for Greece in a battle with Spain. USC is also anticipating the start of the Paralympic Games in Paris (Aug. 28-Sept. 8), which will feature incoming Trojan track star Ezra Frech competing for Team USA and USC alum Cindy Ouellet back for another Games for Canada in women's wheelchair basketball. For more information, results and stories covering USC's Trojans in Paris, visit https://olympics.usctrojans.com
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