Pappas Sets Greek National 10,000 Meter Record

RIO DE JANEIRO – Former Duck Alexi Pappas set the Greek national record in the fastest women's 10,000 meters in history Friday at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Friday was also a solid day for three more former Ducks, with Brianne Theisen-Eaton staying in the medal hunt in the heptathlon and English Gardner and Zoe Buckman advancing through their opening round heats.

The first track and field final of these Olympics may prove to be the hardest to top. The women's 10,000 meters saw a world and Olympics record of 29:17.45 set by gold medalist Almaz Ayana of Ethopia, as she pulled the field to an astounding eight national records and 18 personal bests.

Among the Olympians who set national records and personal bests set on Friday was UO alum Alexi Pappas. The 2012 NCAA champion cross country team member set a Greek national record and personal best by running 31:36.18 to finish 17^th overall. It was a :10 personal best for Pappas. In that race, Molly Huddle set the American record with a sixth-place finish in 30:13.17.

Canada's Theisen-Eaton stood sixth overall after day one in a tight heptathlon competition with 3,829 points.

2012 gold medalists Jessica Ennis-Hill of Great Britain had the day one lead at 4,057 points, followed by Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium at 3,985 and Akela Jones third at 3,964 points, leaving Theisen-Eaton within 135 of the medal stand.

Theisen-Eaton opened the day by running 13.18 in the 100 meters hurdles in rainy conditions, which was sixth in her heat. She then had a solid clearance at 6-1 in the high jump before throwing 44-1.25 feet in the shot put. She rounded out the first day by running 24.18 in the 200 meters.

Gardner easily won the eighth and final 100 meter preliminary heat in 11.09 to advance to Saturday's semifinal. South Africa's Carina Horn was second in 11.32.
Buckman made it a nearly perfect day for the Ducks by surviving the first round of the 1,500 meters. The Australian grabbed the sixth and final automatic spot in her heat in 4:06.93 to advance to Sunday's semifinals.

The track and field portion of 2016 Summer Olympics continues with a school-record 17 current and former Ducks in Rio (11 on Team USA, three for Canada, and one each for Australia, Greece and Guatemala). This is the 20^th straight Olympiad that the University of Oregon has been represented, a streak that dates to the 1932 Games in Los Angeles.

Goducks.com will provide a daily Olympics version of "What to Watch," as well as a recap of Ducks in competition through the remainder of the Games.

What to Watch – Saturday, August 13

A trio of Ducks who helped usher in the current golden age of Oregon track and field go for gold themselves. Both Galen Rupp and Brianne Theisen-Eaton are among the medal favorites in their respective events, while English Gardner will try to make her way through an incredibly competitive 100 meter field.

Theisen-Eaton needs to make up some ground on Saturday and fortunately she is among the best in the field in the remaining three events of the heptathlon – the long jump, javelin and 800 meters. Theisen-Eaton was the silver medalist in the heptathlon at the last two IAAF World Championships in 2013 and 2015, and captured gold in the indoor pentathlon at the 2016 IAAF World meet in Portland, Ore.

Rupp was the silver medalist at 10,000 meters at the London Olympics and is an eight-time U.S. champion at that distance. He is the American 10,000 meter record holder (26:48.0) and won five NCAA titles (cross country, indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meters, outdoor 5,000 and 10,000 meters) as a senior at Oregon in 2008-09.

The favorite at 10,000 meters is Rupp's training partner, Mo Farah of Great Britain. Besides Farah and Rupp, medal contenders include a handful of East Africans from Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Ethiopia won 4 straight gold medals from 1996-2008.

Rupp is also entered in the marathon on Aug. 21.

Gardner advanced through Friday's preliminary rounds as expected, but Saturday's semifinals and finals will be star-studded affairs with at least a half dozen women capable of winning gold. The semis are at 5 p.m. Pacific, and Gardner will be in heat three along with current world leader Elaine Thompson of Jamaica. Medal contenders in the other heats include her American teammates, Tianna Bartoletta and Tori Bowie, and Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 2012 gold medalist in London.

The 100 meter final is at 6:53 p.m. Saturday.

One other former Duck begins her Olympic journey on Saturday. Phyllis Francis opens competition in the preliminary heats of the women's 400 meters. The four-time NCAA Champion ran a personal-best 49.94 at the 2016 U.S. Championships, and was a member of Team USA's silver medal 4x400 meter relay squad at the 2015 IAAF World Championships.

Like the women's 100, the women's 400 features some of the biggest names in the sport, such as U.S. Olympic gold medalist (200 meters) Allyson Felix, Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas, and Stephanie Ann McPherson of Jamaica.

Francis, along with Felix, is also in the U.S. 4x400 meter relay pool.

Schedule – Saturday, August 13
All times Pacific
7:00 a.m.            Phyllis Francis (USA)       Women's 400 Meters – Heats
7:45 a.m.            Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN)     Women's Heptathlon Long Jump
4:00 p.m.            Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN)     Women's Heptathlon Javelin
5:00 p.m.            English Gardner (USA)   Women's 100 Meters – Semifinals
5:25 p.m.            Galen Rupp (USA)           Men's 10,000 Meters – FINAL
6:35 p.m.            English Gardner (USA)   Women's 100 Meters – FINAL
6:53 p.m.            Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN)     Women's Heptathlon 800 Meters

- www.GoDucks.com –

University of Oregon Athletics

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