Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: Monument of Olympic Rings
Courtesy of Dick Thomas Johnson

Big Red In The 2020 Olympics

Five Cornellians head to Tokyo, Japan in July 2021 for the 2020 Summer Games, postponed a year due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. They join a long list of former Big Red student-athletes to compete in the world games, bringing the total number of Olympians to 115 (making 186 total appearances). Cornell has won 61 total Olympic medals, including 43 in the Summer Games (20 gold, 16 silver, seven bronze).

Cornell's All-Time Olympians

1 - Returning Cornell Olympian, Rudy Winkler '17 in the hammer throw as part of the USA Track & Field team after winning his second straight Olympic Trials.

3 - Cornell's five Olympians ranks third among all Ivy League schools behind Harvard (nine) and Princeton (six)

3 - Medals by Cornell equestrian rider Kevin Freeman '63 (3 silver, 1 each in 1964, 1968, 1972), the most by any alumni in the summer games.

4 - The number of Olympic Games Al Hall '56 participated in as a hammer thrower, the most competitions qualified for by a Cornellian in the summer games.

5 - Cornell Olympians competing in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

20 - Gold medals by Big Red alumni in the summer Olympic Games. If Cornell was a country, it would rank 35th out of 195 nation's worldwide in the medal count.

34 - Former Ivy League athletes competing for Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

43 - Total medals by Big Red alumni in the summer Olympic Games. If Cornell was a country, it would rank 43rd out of 195 nation's worldwide in the medal count.

44 - Consecutive matches won by Kyle Dake '13 heading into the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

77 - Total former Ivy League athletes competing at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

94 - All-time Cornellians to qualify for the Summer Olympics (157 total appearances)

115 - All-time Cornellians to qualify for the Olympic Games (summer and winter, 186 total appearances)

Kyle Dake wrestles at the NCAA Championships.
Tracy Eisser competes for US Rowing in 2011.
Taylor Knibb shakes hands with her opponent after finishing a race during the Cornell Big Red women’s swimming and diving team's contest against Brown on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020 in Teagle Pool in Ithaca, NY.
Rudy WInkler competes at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in the hammer throw.
Cornell Men's HWT Crew Cayuga Inlet Ithaca, New York January 27, 2018 CREDIT: Patrick Shanahan
Kyle Dake prepares to wrestle at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall during the 2012-13 season at Oregon State.
Tracy Eisser qualified for her second straight Olympic Games with a dominant showing in the pairs race with Megan Kalmoe of Washington, winning the finals at the Trials by more than six seconds on Mercer Lake on June 5, 2021.
The mud-covered back of Cornell senior Taylor Knibb (178) after competing in the women's NCAA Division I Cross-Country Championships, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Terre Haute, Ind.
Rudy Winkler holds his NCAA Trophy after winning the hammer throw.
Michael Grady rows at the Under-23 World Championships in 2018.

The long wait for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics will finally conclude next week, and when it does Cornell will be represented by five alumni competing across five sports.

Tracy Eisser ’12 and Rudy Winkler ’17 are returning to the Games for a second time after competing in Rio de Janeiro five years ago, and Kyle Dake ’13, Michael Grady ’19 and Taylor Knibb ’20 will be making their respective Olympic debuts. The group will be looking to add to Cornell’s total of 61 medals at the Olympics since 1904.

A Sociology and French double major in the College of Arts & Sciences, Eisser will become the Cornell women’s rowing program’s second two-time Olympian – though she will be competing in a different event than her first appearance at the Games. A 2016 qualifier in quadruple sculls, Eisser will be rowing in the women’s pair alongside Megan Kalmoe, another member of that boat that finished fifth in Rio. The duo dominated the event in 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June.

Knowing that there's no guarantee that we were going to get there – to me it felt worth it because it's the thing I'm most passionate about. I knew going in, pursuing this 100 percent, no matter what happens, I would be OK with the outcome if we won or if we didn't.
Tracy Eisser '12 as told to USRowing.org

Winkler will also be making a return trip to the Games after an 18th-place finish in the hammer throw in Rio. A graduate of the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Information Science, Winkler has continued to ascend on the world stage after winning an NCAA outdoor championship in 2017 and capturing All-America honors five times (three in the hammer throw; two in the weight throw).

Winkler will arrive in Tokyo on a roll after dominating the field at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. He had the top six throws of the night, breaking a 25-year-old American record in the process.

It’s a bit unbelievable. If you saw me during the competition, I would walk out of the circle after throwing 80 (meters) and was saying, ‘This is crazy.’ It felt effortless and it was good to be able to do it repeatedly.
Rudy Winkler '17 as told to TeamUSA.org

For Dake, this will be an Olympic debut seemingly in the works for a lifetime. Originally from and still residing in nearby Lansing, Dake is the only wrestler to win four NCAA titles in four different weight classes, posting a gaudy 137-4 all-time record at Cornell while studying Developmental Sociology in the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Dake has served as a volunteer assistant coach with his alma mater for a handful of seasons while breaking out onto the world scene. He was third in Olympic trials in 2012 and second four years later before really taking off. He hasn’t lost a freestyle match since January 2018, leading to a pair of world titles.

Heading to Tokyo, Dake intends to employ an attacking style.

My sole focus to go out dominate and really just force the action, not by getting extended, not by taking bad shots or taking unneeded risk, but not allowing them to just stand and play pattycake. And I want to go out and put them in a position where they feel threatened. I need to go wrestle.
Kyle Dake '13 as told to the Associated Press

While Dake is Cornell’s eighth wrestler to qualify for the Olympics, Knibb is the Big Red’s first to ever qualify for her event – and, at 23, she is the youngest member in U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team history. Knibb studied Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences while primarily competing with the Big Red track and field and cross country teams. With her triathlon training always being priority, she added the swimming and diving team to her repertoire during her senior year.

A two-time ITU Junior World Champion and a ITU Under-23 World Champion, Knibb won the World Triathlon Championship Series race in May in Yokohama, Japan to secure an automatic qualifying spot for the Olympics. Even though she currently stands 12th among Elite Women in the World Triathlon Rankings, Knibb felt she had to win in Yokohama to make the U.S. team.

I’m almost 100% certain that the committee would not have picked me discretionarily, so that was my only way onto the team. I was very, very excited, but I was more excited to put together a race that I was happy with and everything that came with it — the win, the qualification — was very overwhelming.
Taylor Knibb '20 as told to the Washington Times

Grady is another example of a young alum making the jump to senior level prominence just in time for the Games. A gold medalist with the U.S. at the 2018 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in the Men’s Eight, Grady was announced by USRowing in June as part of the men’s four team for the Olympics.

There was never a real moment where I thought I could make a national team. But many small moments and interactions leading up to now convinced me it was possible. Moments where I posted a good erg or felt the boat moving just right and interactions with my mentors where they told me ‘you have the talent’ or ‘keep up the good work.'
Michael Grady '19 as told to row2k.com

KYLE DAKE '13, Wrestling
Men's Freestyle 74kg

Visit the Team USA bio for Kyle Dake '13

The 2021 national champion at 79kg (174 pounds), Kyle Dake '13 became the first NCAA wrestler to win national titles in four different weight classes, the first to win four national titles without taking a redshirt season and just the third athlete to claim four national titles overall. The 2013 Hodge Award winner as the national Wrestler of the Year was a three-time EIWA Wrestler of the Year. The Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA tournament in 2013, Dake became the third Cornell wrestler to capture the award and the first since Dave Auble in 1960. He wrapped up his amazing career with a 137-4 record, including winning his final 79 collegiate matches. Dake was named the Charles H. Moore Senior co-Athlete of the Year at Cornell, the Sports Illustrated Male College Athlete of the Year and was an ESPY finalist for Best Male College Athlete in 2013. The four-time NCAA All-American was elected to the EIWA Hall of Fame in 2014. Since graduation, he also won senior worlds in 2018, is a three-time national team member and was the 2016 Olympic Trials runner-up.

Twitter: @kyledake444 (https://twitter.com/kyledake444)
Instagram: kyledake444 (https://instagram.com/kyledake444)

* Round of 16/quarterfinals - Makuhari Messe Hall A (Chiba, Japan)
11:30 am local time Thursday, August 5 (10:30 pm ET Wednesday, August 4) - Broadcast Info

* Semifinals - Makuhari Messe Hall A
6:15 pm local time Thursday, August 5 (5:15 am ET Thursday, August 5) - Broadcast Info

* Repechages - Makuhari Messe Hall A
11:30 am local time Friday, August 6 (10:30 pm ET Thursday, August 5) - Broadcast Info

* Medal matches - Makuhari Messe Hall A
6:15 pm local time Friday, August 6 (5:15 am ET Friday, August 6) - Broadcast Info

To come (photos courtesy of USA Today)

TRACY EISSER '12, Women’s Rowing
Women's Pairs

Visit the Team USA bio for Tracy Eisser '12

A seven-time national team member and two-time Olympian, Tracy Eisser '12 medaled at three world championships, including winning a gold in the quadruple sculls in 2015. Eisser also won silver in the coxless pair in 2017 and a bronze in 2014 in quadruple sculls. She took fifth in the quadruple sculls at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before qualifying for the 202 Games in Tokyo, Japan in pairs. A three-year member of the varsity eight boat, she helped the Big Red to national rankings in each of her final two seasons, culminating in the team's first NCAA championship appearance in a decade in 2012. Cornell finished second in the Ivy League that season, its highest finish in more than two decades, to help Eisser to second-team All-Ivy and Mid-Atlantic Region honors. She earned CRCA national scholar-athlete accolades in each of her final three years.

* Heats - Sea Forest Waterway (Tokyo dateline)
9:50, 10 or 10:10 am Saturday, July 24 (8:50, 9 or 9:10 pm ET Friday, July 23) - BROADCAST INFO

* Repechage - Sea Forest Waterway
9:50 am Sunday, July 25 (8:50 pm ET Saturday, July 24) - BROADCAST INFO

* Semifinal - Sea Forest Waterway
12:30 pm Wednesday, July 28 (11:30 pm ET Tuesday, July 27) - BROADCAST INFO

* Final A - Sea Forest Waterway
9:30 am Thursday, July 29 (8:30 pm ET Wednesday, July 28) - BROADCAST INFO

* Final B - Sea Forest Waterway
8:40 am Thursday, July 29 (7:40 pm ET Wednesday, July 28) - BROADCAST INFO

View the gallery (photos courtesy of USA Today & Getty Images) 

MICAHEL GRADY '19, Men’s Heavyweight Rowing
Men's Four

Visit the Team USA bio for Michael Grady '19

Michael Grady '19 makes his first Olympic appearance after rowing in the varsity eight all four seasons at Cornell. He won a gold medal with the U.S.A. in the men's eight event at the 2018 Under 23 World Rowing Championships, held on the world-renowned Malta regatta course in Poznan, Poland. He stroked the eights as a junior in 2018 and occupied the sixth, seventh and eighth seats as a senior. He helped the varsity eight to the finals of the 2016 Eastern Sprints.

Instagram: mike_grady22 

* Heats - Sea Forest Waterway (Tokyo dateline)
12:10 or 12:20 pm Saturday, July 24 (11:10 or 11:20 pm ET Friday, July 23) - BROADCAST INFO
 

* Final A - Sea Forest Waterway
10:10 am Wednesday, July 28 (9:10 pm ET Tuesday, July 27) - BROADCAST INFO

View the Gallery (photos courtesy of USA Today)

TAYLOR KNIBB ‘20, Women’s Cross Country/Swimming & Diving
Women's Triathlon

Visit the Team USA bio for Taylor Knibb '20

A first-time Olympian and a two-time first-team All-Ivy League honoree in cross country, Taylor Knibb '20 scored points all four year at the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championships. She qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships as an individual after finishing fifth overall in the Northeast Regional competition. A consistent competitor in the distance races, Knibb contributed to the 2019 Cornell women’s cross country team finishing second at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships to earn an automatic bid to the national competition. The two-time All-Northeast Region runner finished second for Cornell to help the 2019 team become the first in over 20 years to earn the automatic bid. A senior captain, Knibb closed out her cross country career with a 125th-place at the 2019 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. 

Twitter: @taylorknibb
Instagram (public): taylorknibb

* Women's Individual Triathlon - Odaiba Marine Park (Tokyo dateline)
6:30 am local time Tuesday, July 27 (5:30 pm ET Monday, July 26) - Broadcast Info

* Mixed Relay Triathlon - Odaiba Marine Park
7:30 am local time Saturday, July 31 (6:30 pm ET Friday, July 30) - Broadcast Info

View the gallery (photos courtesy of USA Today)

RUDY WINKLER '17, Men’s Track & Field
Men's Hammer Throw

Visit the Team USA bio for Rudy Winkler '17

A two-time Olympian and five-time NCAA All-American, Rudy Winkler '17 was crowned the national champion outdoors in the hammer throw as a senior. He wrapped up his Ivy League career with his third straight title in both the hammer throw (outdoors) and weight throw (indoors). His hammer throw title made him the fifth athlete in Ivy history, and first from Cornell, to claim three hammer throw titles, and his third straight weight throw title made him the fourth Ivy athlete to reach that total. The wins as a senior came after he represented the United States in the hammer throw at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he finished 18th overall. The 2016 and 2017 USTFCCCA Northeast Field Athlete of the Year was also a two-time indoor Heps MVP of Field Events and earned that distinction at the 2016 outdoor conference championships as well. He was the 2016 NCAA runner-up in the hammer throw and placed eighth in 2015 to claim two All-America honors outdoors. Indoors, Winkler placed fourth in the weight throw at the 2017 NCAA Championships to earn first-team All-America honors after finishing 10th in 2016 to earn second-team honors. Winkler finished his career as the school (251-10) and Ivy League record holder in the hammer throw (246-5), while also holding the best mark in school history in the weight throw (76-6 1/4) and the third-best all-time Heps meet mark in the event (75-7 3/4). Winkler was named Academic All-Ivy in both 2016 and 2017 to go along with his six first-team all-league honors between the weight and hammer throw.

Instagram: throwrw 

* Qualification - Olympic Stadium (Tokyo dateline)
9 or 10:30 am local time Monday, August 2 (8 or 9:30 pm ET Sunday, August 1) - Broadcast Info

* Final - Olympic Stadium
8:15 pm local time Wednesday, August 4 (7:15 am ET Wednesday, August 4 ) - Broadcast Info

To come (photos courtesy of USA Today)

Read More