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O’Connell Places 26th at Rio Olympics
August 16, 2016 11:29 AM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University track and field and cross country alum Jessica O’Connell finished 26th overall in the first round of the women’s 5,000-meter run, while representing Team Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At Olympic Stadium, O’Connell raced in heat one of the 5,000-meter run, placing 13th in her heat and 26th overall with a time of 15:51.18.
Eighteen athletes advanced to the final round of the 5,000 meters. The finals are set for Friday, August 19, at 8:40 p.m. ET.
The Calgary, Alberta, native placed third at the Olympic Trials on July 7 with a time of 16:00.90, where she punched her ticket to the Olympic Games in Rio. She first achieved her Olympic standard qualifying time and personal-best time of 15:06.44 in the 5,000 meters in May 2015.
On Saturday, August 20, WVU alum Sarah-Anne Brault will compete for Canada at the Olympics in the women’s triathlon. The race will start at 10 a.m. ET in Fort Copacabana. A live stream will be available on NBCSports.com. Portions of the race will also be televised on NBC.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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