University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Olympic Roundup - Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012
August 12, 2012 | Bruin Athletics, Olympics
Aug. 12, 2012
UCLA's All-Time Olympic Medal-Winners
Bruin Olympians Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook won gold with the USA Men's Basketball team, and Meb Keflezighi placed fourth in the marathon on the final day of the London 2012 Olympics. UCLA finished with six gold medals and now has totaled 125 gold medals.
Men's Basketball
Former UCLA standouts Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook helped the U.S. men's basketball team earn its second consecutive Olympic gold medal on Sunday with a 107-100 win over Spain. Love registered nine points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes, while Westbrook finished with three points and one rebound in nine minutes. Sunday's victory helped Love and Westbrook earn their first ever Olympic gold medals.
The United States pulled away in the fourth quarter in what was a closely-contested gold medal contest. Team USA led 35-27 after the first quarter but held just a one-point cushion (59-58) at halftime. The U.S. team led 83-82 after three quarters, before outscoring Spain by a 24-18 margin in the final period.
Love finished the Olympic tournament as the sixth-leading rebounder, averaging 7.6 rebounds per game. He grabbed 61 rebounds (27 offensive) while averaging just 17 minutes per game and also averaged 11.6 points per game, fifth-best on the U.S. squad. Westbrook averaged 8.5 points per game.
Love and Westbrook starred as teammates at UCLA during the 2007-08 season, helping lead the Bruins to their third consecutive Final Four that season. Westbrook, who spent two seasons playing at UCLA, and Love were selected back-to-back (No. 4 and 5), respectively, in the 2008 NBA Draft.
Men's Marathon
UCLA Athletics Hall of Famer Meb Keflezighi placed fourth in the marathon at the age of 37, finishing in a time of 2:11:06, just three minutes behind gold medalist Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda (2:08:01). Kenyans Abel Kirui (2:08:27) and Wilson Kipsang (2:09:37) won silver and bronze, respectively.
With three runners chasing the lead pack individually, Keflezighi was able to run with a pack of eight men who were just two minutes behind the lead at the 30km mark. Over the next 5km, Keflezighi increased his pace, pulled away from the chase pack and set his sights on picking off the lone athletes separating him from the podium. During the final two miles of the race, Keflezighi passed both Marilson Dos Santos of Brazil and Kentaro Nakamoto of Japan to secure his fourth place finish.
Keflezighi, who was the only American to finish the race, beat his silver medal-winning time of 2:11.29 at the 2004 Olympics.
Men's Water Polo
Australia held off a late rally from Team USA to win the 7th-place match, 10-9, in men's water polo at the 2012 Olympics at London's Water Polo Arena on Sunday, Aug. 12. The Aussies jumped out to a 5-3 lead at halftime and led 8-4 after three periods. Trailing 10-6, the Americans scored three goals in the final 1:11 of the fourth quarter, but had to settle for eighth place. Former UCLA player and current head coach of the Bruins' men's water polo team, Adam Wright, took one shot and recorded one field block in 21 minutes of action. Former UCLA goalkeeper Chay Lapin did not play.
London Log-In
UCLA Associate Athletic Director Mike Sondheimer shares some of UCLA's impressive Olympic numbers in today's Olympic blog.
