Just three days into Rio 2016, Trojan athletes have already made their mark, winning two medals to bring USC's all-time medal count to 290.
Katinka Hosszu's world-record-breaking time in the 400m IM helped USC extend its streak of athletes winning a gold medal at every Olympics since 1912.
Click here to follow #USC2RIO!
Following the Berlin Olympics in 1936, two of USC's storied gold-medal winners brought home something more than just their hardware. Athletes who won gold that year were given the seeds of an oak tree (Germany's national tree) to plant in their home countries.
Ken Carpenter '39, who won gold in the discus throw, and Foy Draper '36, who along with fellow Trojan Frank Wykoff '32, Ralph Metcalfe and Jesse Owens, won gold in the 4x100 relay, planted their oak trees on the campus of USC.
Carpenter's tree and Draper's tree, which died of root rot in 2002 and was replaced by a mature oak, cast their shadows in USC's Associates Park, between the Bovard Administration Building and the Physical Education Building.
USC students pass these trees every day on their walk to class, but may pay some special attention during Rio 2016, where 44 Trojans are competing to continue USC's incredible Olympic tradition.
