10 EduDawgs to compete at 2024 Paris Olympic Games
Ten athletes with ties to the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Education will compete at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris this month.
In total, 34 members of the Georgia athletic community will compete for 20 different nations across 10 different sports. This group represents the second-largest contingent in UGA athletic history to participate in the Olympics, trailing only the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games at 36.
EduDawgs competing this summer include:
Tennis player María Lourdes Carlé (matriculated B.S.Ed. ’22) pursued a degree in sport management from the College and will be competing in the women’s singles competition for Argentina. Carlé has a career-high singles ranking of No. 71 and played one season of college tennis for the Georgia Bulldogs, helping the team win the SEC regular season title.
Hammer thrower Denzel Comenentia (B.S.Ed. ’20) received his degree in sport management from the College and will be competing in the men’s hammer throw for the Netherlands. During his time at UGA, Comenentia helped captain the track and field team to their first national championship in program history, garnering the meet’s highest individual score with titles in the shot put and hammer throw.
Sprinter Jehlani Gordon (B.S.Ed. ’17) is currently pursuing a degree in sport management from the College and will be competing in the men’s 4X100m relay for Jamaica. This year, Gordon won the 60m dash and posted the third-fastest time in Georgia history in his collegiate debut. He was also named SEC Men’s Freshman of the Week for his winning performance at the Track at New Balance Collegiate Showdown.
Swimmer Chase Kalisz (B.S.Ed. ’19) received his degree in sport management from the College and will be competing in the men’s 400m individual medley for the U.S. He won the gold medal for the same event at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, as well as the silver medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. From 2012 to 2017, Kalisz competed for the Georgia Bulldogs swimming and diving team where he was a three-time NCAA Champion.
Triple jumper Keturah Orji (M.S. ’19) received her master’s degree in kinesiology from the College and will be competing in the women’s triple long jump event for the U.S. As a soon-to-be third-time Olympic competitor, she placed 4th in 2016 (Rio de Janeiro) and 7th in 2020 (Tokyo). In 2019, she was named the NCAA Woman of the Year for her excellence in academics, athletics, community service, and leadership.
Tennis player Ellen Perez (matriculated B.S.Ed. ’19) pursued a degree in sport management from the College and will be competing in the women’s doubles competition for Australia. During the 2020 Olympics, Perez reached the quarterfinals with partner Samantha Stosur. She played three seasons of college tennis for the Georgia Bulldogs and has won six doubles titles on the WTA Tour and two doubles titles on the WTA Challenger Tour.
Long jumper Chanice Porter (M.S. ’18) received her master’s degree in kinesiology from the College and will be competing in the women’s long jump event for Jamaica. In 2019, she competed at the World Athletics Championships and later qualified for the 2020 Olympics. As a member of the Georgia Bulldogs track and field team, she placed first in the long jump event at the NCAA’s 2016 Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Golfer Sepp Straka (matriculated M.S. ’17) pursued a master’s degree in kinesiology from the College and will be competing in the men’s individual golf event for Austria. At the 2020 Olympics, he tied for 10th place overall in the same event. In 2022, he became the first Austrian to win on the PGA Tour at The Honda Classic. Straka played collegiate golf with his twin brother, Sam, for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2011 to 2016.
Swimmer Luca Urlando (B.S.Ed. ’24) is currently pursuing a degree in sport management from the College and will be competing in the men’s 200m butterfly event for the U.S. He holds several records, including the American, NCAA, and the U.S. Open records in the 100 backstroke, as well as school records in the 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 100m individual medley, 200m freestyle relay, and more.
Tennis player Jan Zielinski (B.S.Ed. ’19) received his degree in sport management from the College and will be competing in the men’s doubles competition for Poland. He has a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 7. This year, Zielinski won both the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships in mixed doubles with partner Hsieh Su-wei and reached the final of the 2023 Australian Open doubles with Hugo Nys.
The 2024 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, down the River Siene (the first not in an Olympic stadium), is set for Friday, July 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. Paris time). This summer’s competition will run through Sunday, Aug. 11.