Olympic athletes with New Mexico ties: Daily recap for Sunday, Aug. 4

Former University of New Mexico golfer Victor Perez, of France, shot a 63 on Sunday to come within one shot of a medal in the Olympic men’s golf tournament.

A fan favorite at Le Golf National, Perez had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot on Thursday. After the third round, he was 8-under par but six shots back of the leaders and tied for 13th place.

Perez jumped nine of the top golfers in the world on the final day of competition, shooting 8-under on Sunday alone, possibly buoyed by the home crowd, who serenaded him on nearly every hole.

However, Perez’s day was overshadowed by American Scottie Scheffler, who birdied five of six holes down the stretch and matched the course record with a 9-under 62 for a one-shot victory over Tommy Fleetwood. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama — one shot behind Fleetwood and one shot ahead of Perez — won the bronze.

Perez, 31, was a three-time All-Mountain West selection from 2012-14 while playing on some stacked Lobo men’s golf teams. Malaysian golfer Gavin Green, a teammate of Perez’s at UNM, was also one of the 60 golfers competing for an Olympic medal.

Green, 30, shot 2-under on Sunday, his best performance in the tournament, to finish 3-under and tied for 33rd place. Green is a former two-time Mountain West Golfer of the Year.

Track and field

Former UNM track star Josh Kerr will be competing for a medal after finishing second in the men’s 1,500-meter semifinal on Sunday.

Kerr, the captain of the Great Britain track and field team, will be among the favorites to win the 1,500m final on Tuesday. The race is scheduled to start at 12:50 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC.

An Edinburgh, Scotland native, the 26-year-old Kerr is a former NCAA champion at UNM.

Also Sunday, former volunteer UNM track and field coach Alicja Konieczek finished fourth a women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase heat, which qualifies her for the final on Tuesday. Watch it at 1:10 p.m. — soon after the men’s 1,500m race — on NBC.

Konieczek, 29, who runs for Poland, lives and trains in Albuquerque.

Looking back

Here’s how Olympic athletes with New Mexico ties have fared in 2024 events that have already wrapped up.

- Albuquerque native Mariah Duran finished in 22nd place in women’s street skateboard.

- Former New Mexico Highlands wide receiver Kevon Williams is captain of the U.S. men’s rugby sevens team that finished in seventh place.

Looking ahead

Here are the Olympic athletes with New Mexico ties who will compete later this week:

• Former New Mexico State golfer Alena Sharp (Canada) and UNM golfers Ursula Wikstrom (Finland) and Manon de Roey (Belgium) will tee off in women’s golf Wednesday through Saturday.
• Highland High School alum Anicka Newell is competing in women’s pole vault for Canada. The qualification round begins at 2:20 a.m. Monday on Peacock. The finals will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday on NBC.
• Former New Mexico Junior College track star Tapiwanashe (Carlie) Makarawu is competing in the men’s 200 meters for Zimbabwe. The first round begins at 11:55 a.m. Monday on NBC. The repechage (second chance) round is at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday on (Peacock). The semifinals are at 12:02 p.m. Wednesday on NBC. The finals will be at 12:30 p.m. Thursday on NBC.
• NMJC track star LaCarthea Cooper is competing on the women’s 4x100-meter relay for the Bahamas. The first round begin at 3:10 a.m. Thursday on NBC. The finals will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday on NBC.
• Los Alamos native Chase Jackson is competing in women’s shot put for the United States. The qualification round begins at 2:25 a.m. Thursday on Peacock. The finals will be at 11:40 a.m. Friday on NBC.
• Former UNM track star Weini Kelati is competing in the women’s 10,000 meters for the United States. The finals are at 12:55 p.m. Friday on NBC.
• Former UNM distance runners Fiona O’Keeffe (USA) and Calli Thackery (Great Britain) will compete in the women’s marathon, beginning at midnight Sunday on NBC.