SPORTS
Road to Rio:Daina Levy, first hammer thrower to compete for Jamaica
KANSAN.COM
▶ TIFFANY LITTLER
@rlitt33
n Saturday, July 2, recent Kansas graduate Daina Levy became the first former Jayhawk to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Levy currently holds the Kansas record in the hammer throw with a distance of 71.48m (234-6), which she threw at the Lawrence Last Chance meet back in June. She beat her previous record of 69.01m (226-5) twice at that meet.
Levy took the title in the hammer throw at the Jamaican National Championships with a top mark of 64.18m, making this her second straight Jamaican title.
The two-time Big 12 champion did not qualify for the 2016 NCAA
"When they go out and represent their country, they're also representing KU," he said. "There's an opportunity that was given to them that KU provided."
She will be the first Jamaican to compete in the Olympic hammer throw.
But Levy will not only be representing Jamaica in the Olympics, Kansas Head Coach Stanley Redwine said.
"It means everything for the country," Levy said. "There's a lot of exposure in sprints and different events outside of field events ... having exposure for the hammer throw is going to make a huge difference."
Senior Daina Levy throws the discus at the KU Relays. She placed 3rd. Levy will be competing in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.
Championships in the hammer throw this past spring, and Levy said that fouling out at the regionals was a humbling moment for her and gave her more motivation to train harder.
"You have to move on and she did move on and performed well [at the Jamaican National Championships], enough to throw the Olympic standard," Redwine said.
Levy said that she's not nervous for her first Olympics, and is most looking forward to the experience of it all.
File Photo/KANSAN
s in Anonet
"It's already historic for me to even be going and competing," Levy said.
Levy will compete in the hammer throw qualifying rounds at the 2016 Olympics beginning
Levy is one of five current and former Jayhawks to qualify for this year's Olympics, marking the first time since 1960 that there will be five athletes representing Kansas. She joins fellow Jayhawks Kyle Clemons, Mason Finley, Andrea Geubelle and Zainab Sanni.
on Friday, August 12.
The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games will run from Aug. 5-21 with all events being televised on either NBC and NBCSN.
It's already historic for me to even be going and competing."
Daina Levy
Olympic hammer thrower
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