At least four UC Irvine student-athletes have been selected to various national teams in each of the last 13 Summer Olympic Games.
In Paris, UCI alums will represent three different countries (United States, France, Australia) and participate across three different sports (men’s indoor and beach volleyball, and women’s water polo). One Olympian that has served as a UCI assistant coach will participate in Kaleigh Gilchrist in her third Olympic Games with USA women's water polo.
A breakdown of Olympic medals by UCI Representatives:
Anteater Olympic Medals
Gold: 12; Silver: 17; Bronze: 3
Anteater Paralympic Medals
Gold: 14; Silver: 2; Bronze: 0
Four former UCI student-athletes have competed in four Summer Olympics (Ryan Bailey, water polo; Lanee Butler-Beashel, sailing; Greg Louganis, diving) with the addition of David Smith who was named to the U.S. Men's Indoor Volleyball Team for the 2024 Paris Games. Smith made his Olympic debut in London in 2012 and won bronze at the Rio Games in 2016. Smith was born with severe hearing loss. He wears hearing aids to assist him on and off the court and also reads lips.
Thomas Hodges will represent Australia in men's beach volleyball. The All-American was a member of UC Irvine's 2015 team that went 28-5 and made an NCAA appearance. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 2017.
Former two-time UCI men’s volleyball All-American Kevin Tillie is making his third Olympic appearance with the host country, France. He helped France win gold in men's indoor volleyball in 2021 in Tokyo while being coached by his father, Laurent. Tillie received the Outstanding Student-Athlete award at the 2013 Lauds & Laurels gala.
Tara Prentice is competing in her first Olympic Games in 2024, and is the first Anteater to represent in the sport of women's water polo. Prentice finished her UC Irvine career as the all-time leading scorer in program and Big West history with 242 goals. She earned All-America status all four years, making her one of three 'Eaters to accomplish that feat. She is also the only Anteater woman's player to score first-team All-America status twice (2020, 2022). Prentice was also named Big West Player of the Year her graduate senior season in 2022. She left UCI with two bachelor's and two master's degrees.
Tim Hinchey joins the Olympic staff as the CEO of USA Swimming. Hinchey graduated from UC Irvine as a four-year letterwinner on the swim team.
Four-time Olympic gold-medalist Greg Louganis (’83) was the featured commencement speaker for the Francisco J. Ayala School of Biological Sciences in 2015.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, five of the 13 members of the U.S. Men’s Water Polo Team were UCI alums (Omar Amr, Ryan Bailey, Genii Kerr, Dan Klatt and Jeff Powers).
At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, a total of 11 UC Irvine alums competed for various U.S. teams, with eight earning medals (three gold and five silver).
Bob Ernst, who is one of two men’s water polo players credited with creating the Anteater as UCI’s mascot, participated in four Olympic Games (1976, 1980, 1984, 1988). Ernst coached the USA women’s eight-oared boat to a gold medal in 1984 in the Los Angeles Games. He also worked with NBC providing TV color commentary for the rowing events at 1996 Atlanta Games.
Eight UCI athletes made the Olympic team in 1980, but never participated as the U.S. boycotted the Games.
Two UCI athletes (John Morgan, swimming, and Nick Scandone, sailing) won a total of 16 medals at the Paralympics. Morgan won 13 gold and two silver medals in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Summer Games. Scandone earned a gold medal at the 2008 Games.
UCI will have its first Paralympian since Scandone, as former UCI student Bryan Larsen will compete in cycling.
