The University of Texas has catapulted many to the stage of Olympic fame. Not just a house of academia, this institute is akin to a sports star-producing factory! For those unaware, the United States of America proudly stands atop the Olympic medal tally table with a thumping 2985 figure. Interestingly, the contribution by the Texas Longhorns alone in this number is more than the collective total of some individual nations! Yes, you read that right.
In fact, at the previous Tokyo Games itself, the Texas alumni brought home 9 medals, out of which five were glistening goldens. Was this good enough, though? Well, let’s just say that if the Longhorns had gone in as a distinct country, this digit would land them 26th all-around. Mind you, this was just about a single Olympic stint. Wait till you leaf over their overall numbers through the years, which are simply spellbinding.
The Texas Longhorns’ all-time Olympic medal tally besting nations
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Going into the 33rd Olympic Games, the 162 Texas stars to have participated across different Olympic chapters till now have mounted a whopping tally of medals. How many have they won? Well, they have clinched a total of 156 medals. Wherein, the highest won, ie the metallic was the supreme gold one, with 89 coming home to Texas, accompanied by 43 silver and 24 bronze-colored rewards.
As per the World Population Review numbers, one can see that this 156 figure surpasses what certain countries have bagged in their entirety. The statistics show that Brazil’s Olympic medal tally rests at 150, as of 2022, which is a tad lesser than the Longhorn’s figure. Moreover, while Denmark’s total number of medals stands at 215, their golds are deficit, with just 48, as opposed to the college alumni’s 89.
Browsing through the list, one sees that the Longhorn’s numerals have also eclipsed multiple countries like Jamaica, Greece, Argentina, New Zealand, and others. Indeed, this can be accredited to the decorated Texas athletes who passed their Olympic tests with flying colors. For instance, Kevin Durant has been on a triple gold-winning streak, as his Men’s Basketball top spot in Tokyo repeated his 2016 Rio Games and 2012 Tokyo Games results.
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Texas Longhorns' Olympic stars outshine entire nations—are they the greatest collegiate athletes ever?
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What’s more, Ryan Crouser continued his spree in Men’s shot put, being titled the Olympic champion in both Rio and Tokyo. Whereas, names of former Texas pupils also come in from swimming, where Ricky Berens, Brad Bridgewater, Garrett Weber-Gale, Lydia Jacoby, and many more have returned victorious.
Even track and field stars like Bianca Knight, Michelle Carter, Ryan Crouser, and others added substantially to the tally. And, the tradition is set to be followed this year too. Let’s have a look at the Texas Longhorns set to take the French Capital by storm.
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Longhorns to watch out for in Paris
In the next 5 days, the University of Texas will be sending a total of 37 Longhorns to the Paris battlefield. This figure includes their present and former athletes, as well as coaches. So far, this is the largest delegation being sent to the coveted meet by the by.
Competing across a total of 12 sports categories and representing 16 different countries, the Longhorns will be looking to amplify the 156 figure astronomically this time. And with the veterans on their side, it looks like an attainable target. Namely, Ryan Crouser will be raring to bag his third gold, while Tara Davis-Woodhall will be aiming to ace her 2nd Olympic appearance.
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Kevin Durant, an ex-Longhorn, will also be setting foot on the NBA court for his fourth Olympic game. The coaching benches will also feature Texas maestros, Carol Capitani in swimming, Matt Scoggin in diving, and Erik Sullivan in men’s volleyball. But this time, all three of them will be representing the USA.
Thus, one can say that the Texas Longhorns are on a roll. They have been expanding their footprints in Olympic history for the past few years, which has them transcending outright nations today. What do you think of their spectacle? Let us know below.
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Texas Longhorns' Olympic stars outshine entire nations—are they the greatest collegiate athletes ever?