Retro
FLEET-FOOTED: (above) Kristi Castlin became the first female Virginia Tech athlete, current or former, to win a medal when she earned a bronze in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (top) Todd Scully, (middle) Bimbo Coles, (bottom) Carmen Farmer, third in line.
GOING FOR GOLD Men’s swimmers, including Ian Ho ’18 and current students Antani Ivanov and Youssef Ramadan, qualified for the Games, along with men’s golfer Scott Vincent ’15. Also, incoming women’s track and field student-athlete Barbora 66 | HOKIE NATION | RETRO
Malikova and Irena Gillarova, a javelin thrower from the Czech Republic and two-time national champion in the event at Virginia Tech, competed in Tokyo. Marcel Lomnicky ’13 became Virginia Tech’s first three-time Olympian when he earned a spot on the 2020 Slovakian men’s track and field team. Lomnicky, a twotime national champion while at Virginia Tech, competed in the hammer throw at the Games in 2012 and 2016. Ho competed in the 50-meter freestyle for Hong Kong, while Ivanov competed in the
100- and 200-meter butterfly for Bulgaria. Ramadan swam the 100-meter butterfly for Egypt. Vincent played for the Zimbabwe national team and became the first Virginia Tech golfer to qualify for an Olympics. Here’s a look back at some of the Hokies who’ve been a part of Olympic history. Todd Scully, a one-time coach of Tech’s cross country team, is Virginia Tech’s first known Olympic athlete. He served as an alternate on the U.S. Olympic race-
DAVE KNACHEL, VIRGINIA TECH ATHLETICS
BETWEEN 1976 AND 2020, 13 VIRGINIA Tech students, alumi, and staff earned the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games. Seven qualified this year for the 2020 Olympics, which were rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic and held July 23-Aug. 8, in Tokyo, Japan.
