12 Tar Heels competing at Olympics: Here’s when and where can you see them compete

By R.L. Bynum

A dozen Tar Heels in six sports are in Japan to compete in the 2020 Olympics, including three current Carolina students and three vying for individual medals.

Down-Jenkins

Two of the current students make history as the first Tar Heels to compete in Olympic diving: senior Anton Down-Jenkins, who will compete for New Zealand, and sophomore Aranza Vazquez, 18, who is part of Mexico’s team. Down-Jenkins, 21, is the first New Zealand diver to qualify for the Olympics since 1984.

Vazquez

Both will compete in 3-meter springboard diving, with preliminaries starting on July 30 for Vazquez and Aug. 2 for Down-Jenkins.

The other Tar Heel competing for an individual medal is five-time All-American Kenny Selman (2014–18). Selman, 24, earned his first Olympic trip by finishing second in the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June with a personal-record time of 48.08 seconds. Selman competes in a preliminary race July 29, the first day of track and field competition.

Selman after earning a spot on the Olympic team at the trials (Via his Instagram account)
Feeley

The other current student in Tokyo is sophomore Camilla Feeley, 21, who will compete in the rhythmic gymnastics team competition starting Aug. 5.

The United States baseball team features two former Tar Heels in catcher Tim Federowicz (2006–08) and pitcher Ryder Ryan (2015–16).

Federowicz, 33, a part of the 2006 College World Series team, is with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and is hitting .200 with three homers and nine RBI for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. On the “Bosh to the Bigs” podcast, he talked about making the Olympic team and his Carolina career (starting at 29:00).

Ryan

Ryan, 26, is in the Texas Rangers system and is 1–4 with a 6.17 ERA and 30 strikeouts this season for the Triple-A Round Rock Express.

The U.S. is in Group B with Israel (which it plays Friday, July 30) and Korea (which it plays Saturday, July 31) in games that start at 6 a.m. The knockout stage starts Aug. 1.

Dunn

There are two veteran former Carolina players on the USA women’s soccer team in defender Crystal Dunn (2010–13) and forward Tobin Heath (2006–9).

Dunn, 29, won the Hermann Trophy while leading the Tar Heels to the 2012 national championship. Dunn played for the North Carolina Courage for three seasons until 2020 and now plays for the Portland Thorns, with a goal and an assist in seven games.

Heath

Heath, 33, helped UNC win titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009. She played 11 matches last year for Manchester United but has battled through first an ankle then a knee injury.

Dunn is making her second Olympic appearance and it’s Heath’s third, including winning a gold medal in London in 2012.

The U.S. team tries to rebound from a 3–0 loss Wednesday to Sweden on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. (NBCSN) against New Zealand, which features midfielder Katie Bowen, another former Carolina player (2012–15). Bowen, 27, was a member of the 2012 national-championship team. Her team also lost its opener Wednesday, falling to Australia 2–1.

Wubben-Moy

The two other former UNC players are competing in Olympic women’s soccer for the first time and playing for Great Britain: defenders Lotte Wubben-Moy (2017–19), who plays for Arsenal, and Lucy Bronze (2009), who plays for Manchester City.

Bronze

Bronze, 29, became the first British player to win an NCAA title when the Tar Heels won it all in 2009. Wubben-Moy, 22, decided to forgo her senior season last school year because of COVID-19. Bronze wrote about how being an Olympian fulfills a dream.

Great Britain beat Chile 2–0 in its opener Wednesday and faces Japan on Saturday morning.

Naya Tapper, 26, will play wing for the U.S. women’s rugby team. She is a 2016 UNC graduate who started playing rugby while at Carolina.

When to see Tar Heels in Olympics

When only NBCOlympics.com is listed, action may air on one of NBC’s channels.
USA’s Crystal Dunn and Tobin Heath in women’s soccer:
The team lost to Sweden 3–0 in its opener on Wednesday
Saturday, 7:30 a.m. — vs. New Zealand (NBCSN)
Tuesday, 4 a.m. — vs. Australia (USA Network, Telemundo)
The quarterfinals are July 30, the semifinals Aug. 2 and the medal round Aug. 5.
New Zealand’s Katie Bowen in women’s soccer:
The team lost to Australia 2–1 in its opener on Wednesday
Saturday, 7:30 a.m. — vs. United States (NBCSN)
Tuesday, 4 a.m. — vs. Sweden (NBCOlympics.com)
The quarterfinals are July 30, the semifinals Aug. 2 and the medal round Aug. 5.
Great Britain’s Lotte Wubben-Moy and Lucy Bronze in women’s soccer:
The team beat Chile 2–0 in its opener on Wednesday.
Saturday, 6:30 a.m. — vs. Japan (NBCOlympics.com)
Tuesday, 7 a.m. — vs. Canada (NBCOlympics.com)
The quarterfinals are July 30, the semifinals Aug. 2 and the medal round Aug. 5.
USA’s Kenny Selman in 400-meter hurdles in track:
Thursday, 10:33 p.m. — Round 1, heat 2 (USA Network or NBC)
Sunday, Aug. 1, 8:05 a.m. — Semifinals (Peacock and NBCOlympics.com)
Monday, Aug. 2, 11:20 p.m. — Finals (CNBC and/or NBC)
USA’s Naya Tapper in women’s rugby:
Thursday, July 29, 9 p.m. — vs. China (USA Network)
Friday, July 30, 5 a.m. — vs. Japan (NBCOlympics.com)
Friday, July 30, 9:30 p.m. — vs. Australia (NBCOlympics.com)
Knockout rounds start July 31, with the semifinals July 31 and the medal round Aug. 1.
USA catcher Tim Federowicz and pitcher Ryder Ryan in baseball:
Friday, July 30, 6 a.m. — vs. Israel (NBCOlympics.com)
Saturday, July 31, 6 a.m. — vs. South Korea (NBCSN)
Knockout stage starts Aug. 1, with the semifinals Aug. 4 and the medal round on Aug. 7.
Mexico’s Aranza Vazquez in women’s 3-meter diving competition:
Friday, July 30, 2 a.m. — Preliminaries (NBCOlympics.com; joined at 2:30 on USA Network)
Saturday, July 31, 2 a.m. — Semifinals (NBCOlympics.com)
Sunday, Aug. 1, 2 a.m. — Finals (NBCOlympics.com)
New Zealand’s Anton Down-Jenkins in men’s 3-meter diving competition:
Monday, Aug. 2, 2 a.m. — Preliminaries (NBCOlympics.com)
Monday, Aug. 2, 9 p.m. — Semifinals (NBCOlympics.com)
Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2 a.m. — Finals (NBCOlympics.com)
USA’s Camilla Feeley in rhythmic gymnastics:
Thursday, Aug. 5, 9:20 p.m. — Individual all-around qualifications, rotations 1 and 2 (NBCOlympics.com)
Friday, Aug. 6, 1:50 a.m. — Individual all-around qualifications, rotations 3 and 4 (NBCOlympics.com)
Saturday, Aug. 7, 2:20 a.m. — Individual all-around final (NBCOlympics.com)
Saturday, Aug. 7, 10 p.m. — Group all-around final (NBCOlympics.com)






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