Columbians Compete in Rio Olympics

DON SIMONE ’78 / COLUMBIA ATHLETICS

Congratulations to Katie Meili ’13 upon winning a bronze medal in the 100m breast-stroke swimming event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Meili also helped the United States win its qualification heat by swimming the breaststroke leg in the 4x100m medley relay but was not selected by team coaches to compete in the medal round as the Americans won the gold. [Editor’s note: Read about Meili’s road to Rio]

Three other Columbians were members of Olympic teams in Rio. Fencer Nzingha Prescod ’15, participating in her second Olympics, won her first bout in the women’s individual foil over Nataly Michel Silva of Mexico 15–9 before losing to Astrid Guyart of France 14–11 in the round of 16. Akua Obeng-Akrofi ’18 was an alternate but did not run for Ghana’s women’s 4x100m relay team that finished eighth in its heat and did not advance to the finals. And Isadora Cerullo ’13 competed on the Brazilian women’s rugby team and although the team finished ninth, Cerullo came away a winner when her partner, Marjorie Enya, proposed to her after the gold-medal match.