Seven Ole Miss Rebels are competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, which kicked off last Thursday and will conclude on Aug. 11.
McKenzie Long – women’s 200-meter
Long set a personal best of 21.83 in the 200-meter in Eugene, Oreg. last June. With that time, she set an Ole Miss record and is No. 2 in collegiate history, T-No. 10 in U.S. history and T-No. 24 in world history. She is one of six women to sweep the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in the NCAA championships.
The senior from Ironton, Ohio, is entering her second year at Ole Miss. This is her first Olympics, and she is the first person to represent Ole Miss in the Women’s 200-meter dash.
Long’s mother, Tara Jones, passed away last January unexpectedly at the age of 45. According to the Ole Miss sports website, track has been Long’s distraction and an outlet to honor her mother’s memory.
She will compete from Aug. 4 through 6. If selected, she will also compete in the Women’s 4×100 relay race on Aug. 8 and 9.
Mario Garcia Romo – men’s 1500-meter
Romo, a native of Salamanca, Spain, will represent Spain in the Men’s 1500-meter race from Aug 2 to 6.
He attended Ole Miss from 2018-22. This is his first Olympics, and he is the first person to qualify for the Men’s 1500-meter race in Ole Miss history.
The 3x World finalist set a personal best of 3:29.18, the third best time in Spanish history, in 2023 in the Oslo Diamond League. He is also a 4x Spanish national medalist in the 1500m, including a gold in 2022.
Sam Kendricks – men’s Pole Vault
Oxford resident Sam Kendricks graduated from Ole Miss in 2014 after competing with the Rebels for three years. This will be his third time competing in the Olympics, having previously participated in the 2016 and 2021 Olympics. He won bronze in 2016.
His personal best is 6.06 meters at the 2019 U.S. Outdoor Championships, which was an American record but now ranks second. It is also T-No. 5 in the world.
The two-time World Outdoor champion(one of just two men to repeat that championship) was the first Men’s athlete in Ole Miss history to make Team USA multiple times. Kendricks will compete from Aug. 3 to 5.
Raven Saunders – women’s Shot Put
Saunders won silver in the 2021 Olympics and was just the fifth-ever Rebel to win an Olympic medal. She also placed fifth in the 2016 Olympics.
Originally from Charleston, S.C., Saunders attended Ole Miss from 2016 to 2018. She is a 4x NCAA Champion and a 7x All-American. She will compete on Aug. 8 and 9.
Her personal best was 19.96 meters in the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oreg. That distance was good for No. 8 in U.S. history.
Sintayehu Vissa – women’s 1500 meter
Vissa attended Ole Miss from 2021 to 2022 and was the first to qualify for the Women’s 1500-meter race. She is from Bertiolo, Italy and will represent Italy in the Olympics.
She went pro in 2022 with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining. Since then, she became the 2023 1500-meter Italian champion and broke Italy’s all-time indoor mile record with a time of 4:24.54(No. 11 in world history). Visa will be competing from Aug 6 to 10.
Rafaelle Souz – women’s soccer
Souz was a defender at Ole Miss from 2011 to 2013. She is from Cipo, Brazil and will represent Brazil in this year’s Olympics. This is her third Olympics, and she has played in 10 Olympic matches(including Thursday’s 1-0 win over Nigeria).
She obtained the best finish for a soccer player from Ole Miss in 2016 when the Brazillians finished 4th. Souz Played with Team Brazil in the 2015 and 2023 World Cups. She was the captain in the 2023 World Cup.
Souz has played soccer for six professional soccer teams in three countries. In 2013, she scored 50 points for the Rebels. She set Ole Miss records that have since been broken for career points(108) and goals(44)
With Women’s soccer underway in Paris, Souz will compete until Aug. 10.
Shu Ohba – women’s soccer
Ohba is an alternate for Japan. She is from Fujisawa, Japan and transferred from East Tennessee State University to Ole Miss in 2023 and is entering her senior year with the Rebels.
This is her first Olympics. She has competed with Team Japan in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup and the 2023 Asian Games.
