On day five at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Emily Overholt won bronze in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay. The incoming UBC student competed alongside Canadian team members Katherine Savard, Taylor Ruck, and Kennedy Goss on Wednesday. Overholt, 18, is now the first UBC student to win a medal at Rio de Janeiro.
Her teammate Brittany Maclean was replaced by the BC native after Maclean fell sick. Penny Oleksiak — who tied for gold with Simone Manuel (USA) in the 100m freestyle— swam heats in the afternoon and her role was filled in by Kennedy Goss. Overholt also raced in the 400m medley final and placed fifth despite a hamstring injury.
Last summer, Overholt swam at the Toronto Pan American games and came away from the competition with three medals. She won a gold in the 400-metre freestyle. This came less than 24 hours after she was disqualified for an illegal turn in the 400m medley.
She has also competed internationally in games like the FINA World Championships and the Commonwealth games, in which she has won medals or placed notably in.
Overholt deferred her admission for a year to focus on the Olympics, but will be studying Science at UBC this fall.