Hokies Take on the World in Tokyo
Seven Virginia Tech athletes are participating in the 2020 Olympics
By the time you are reading this the 2020 Olympics (yes it's still branded as 2020) will have kicked off and the athletes and coaches from Virginia Tech will now have their chance to take home a medal for their respective countries.
Out of the seven Hokies in the Olympics the breakdown follows:
- Three competing in Swimming
- Three competing in Track & Field
- One competing in Golf
Who to Watch
Ian Ho - Hong Kong - Swimming
Ian Ho will start his Olympic journey representing Hong Kong on July 30 at 6 a.m. ET with a 50 meter freestyle heat. This freestyle specialist will be aiming to make the semifinals on July 30 at 9:30 p.m. ET and the finals on July 31 at 9:30 p.m. ET, respectively.
While at Virginia Tech from 2015-2019, Ho qualified for the ACCs in each year, which also included trips to national events like the NCAAs and the Toyota US Open.
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Antani Ivanov - Bulgaria - Swimming
Antoni Ivanov will be taking his butterfly stroke talent to Tokyo representing Bulgaria. He will be competing in both the 100 and 200 meter butterfly. His journey begins on July 26 with a 200 meter heat at 6 a.m. ET and then a few days later on July 29 he starts his 100 meter quest at 6 a.m. ET.
Ivanov is a current rising senior at Tech, where he earned All-American honors this past year at the NCAA Championships in both the 100 and 200 meter butterfly.
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Youssef Ramadan - Egypt - Swimming
Youssef Ramadan will be representing Egypt in the Olympics and he could possibly be competing against his Virginia Tech teammate Antoni Ivanov. Similar to Ivanov, Ramadan's stroke is butterfly and he will be participating in the 100 meter. Ramadan's first race is July 29 at 6 a.m. ET.
Ramadan had a standout freshmen season in 2020-2021 where he was named as an All-American in the 50 freestyle and was also named the ACC Swimming & Diving Male Freshmen of the Year.
Marcel Lomnický - Slovakia - Hammer Throw (Track & Field)
Marcel Lomnický will be representing Slovakia in the Hammer Throw in Tokyo. This will be Lomnický's third Olympics, previously going to 2016 in Rio and 2012 in London. Lomnický qualified by winning the hammer throw competition at the Slovakian National Championships. His first event will take place on August 1 at 8 p.m. ET.
Lomnický is Tech athletics royalty, as one of the only national champions in school history, winning the 2009 NCAA hammer throw crown. That same year, Lomnický was named Virginia Tech Athlete of the Year.
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Irena Gillarová - Czech Republic - Javelin Throw (Track & Field)
Irena Gillarová will be representing the Czech Republic in the Javelin Throw. She will start her quest for a medal on August 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
Gillarová is a two-time NCAA javelin throw champion (2015 & 2017) and holds a current Virginia Tech record of 59.89m. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2015 World University Games.
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Barbora Malíková - Czech Republic - 400 meters (Track & Field)
Barbora Malíková will be representing the Czech Republic in the 400 meter. Malíková and Irena Gillarová have the unique opportunity to be University and Olympic teammates, as they are both competing for the Czech Republic on the Track & Field team. Malíková punched her ticket to Tokyo by winning the gold medal at the Czech Republic National Championships. Malíková's first event will be the 400m prelims on August 2 at 8 p.m. ET.
Malíková, who has signed with Tech, but has yet to compete for the school, will be joining the Track & Field team this coming year for her freshmen season.
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Scott Vincent - Zimbabwe - Golf
Scott Vincent will be representing Zimbabwe in golf. He will play four straight days starting on July 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET. All four rounds will take place at Kasumigaseki Country Club.
Vincent is a Tech golf legend. In 2013, he won the Virginia Collegiate Player of the Year and in 2014 he was named a First Team All-American (still the team's only). He also helped guide the golf team to four NCAA regional appearances as well as two national appearances during his tenure as a Hokie.
Scott will also be joined by his wife and caddie, Kelsey Vincent, who is a Hokie grad as well. Kelsey graduated in 2014 with a degree in Human Nutrition, Food, and Exercise.
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Best of luck to all Hokie Olympians! Hokie Nation will be cheering you on!
Hokie Coaches Going for Gold
Sergio Lopez Miro is the assistant coach for the Singapore National swim team. This will be Miro's fourth Olympics and he will be coaching the reigning gold medalist in the 100-meter butterfly. Miro is also the head coach for Hokie Swim and Dive team.
Albert Subirats, who is the Virginia Tech Assistant Swim Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, is also the Iceland assistant coach for their swim team. This four-time Olympian with Venezuela will be helping coach Iceland throughout these Olympics.
