Javianne Oliver, Team USA qualify for 4x100m relay finals

Another day, another former Kentucky Track star earning a chance to go for gold in Tokyo.

Javianne Oliver and USA’s 4×100-meter relay team qualified for the finals earlier today in Tokyo, placing second in their heat and second overall with a time of 41.90. Oliver, who competed for Kentucky from 2015-17, was the leadoff leg. Earlier in the Olympics, she made it to the semifinals of the 100m dash with a time of 11.08 seconds.

Oliver and Team USA will run in the 4x100m relay finals tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. ET. They’ll be in Lane 6, right next to Great Britain, which finished with the fastest time in the semifinals, 41.55.

.@TeamUSA is through to the final in the women's 4x100m relay!#TokyoOlympics

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— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 5, 2021

Three medals for Kentucky Track and more to come?

So far this Olympics, three Kentucky Track alums have won medals. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn took home gold for Puerto Rico in the 100m hurdles and Keni Harrison (USA) finished second to earn silver. On Tuesday night, Sydney McLaughlin won gold and smashed her own world record in the 400m hurdles. McLaughlin may still be chosen to run for Team USA in the 4x400m relay, which takes place Saturday morning.

Unfortunately, current Kentucky track athlete Megan Moss and the Bahamas failed to finish in their heat of the women’s 4x400m relay. Fellow current Cat Dwight St. Hillaire will run for Trinidad and Tobago’s team in Round 1 of the men’s 4x400m relay tomorrow morning at 7:25 a.m.

ICYMI yesterday, the University of Kentucky is in the top ten of colleges in the medal count. With Team USA earning a spot in the men’s basketball gold medal game and possibly three more track stars competing in finals, they’ve got room to rise.