USC swimmer Rebecca Soni (B.A. Communication, '09) has earned a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, completing the 200-meter breaststroke in a world-record 2 minutes, 20.22 seconds. The previous record holder, Australia's Leisel Jones, was a distant second, finishing nearly two seconds after Soni touched the wall. Soni also beat her own Olympic record in the event, which she set in the qualifying round Tuesday.
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Rebecca Soni swims toward a gold medal in Beijing (USA Today photo) |
Soni joins 39 other Trojan students and alumni as they represent the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing through August 24.
"The experience has been so great, and it's been really fun to be here as a college athlete," Soni said last week. "I love representing USC here."
Soni shows off her gold medal after winning the 200-meter breaststroke |
Annenberg alumni competing at this year’s Olympic Games include fellow swimmer Mark Warkentin (Communication, ’03), beach volleyball player Bibiana Candelas (Communication, ’06), diver Blythe Hartley (Communication, '06), water polo player Sofia Konoukh (Communication, '04) and women’s basketball player Lisa Leslie (Communication, ’97).
Gold-medal race results
Reuters feature story
More on Soni
USA Today
Soni wins silver
Soni wins third medal