With three athletes competing in the 2024 Paris games, let's take a look at the 5 greatest Olympians who attended the University of Missouri.
1. Jackson Scholz
One of two Missouri athletes to win a gold medal at the Olympics, Jackson Scholz was relatively unknown throughout his college career. However, his international accolades speak for themselves.
Scholz was the first athlete to appear in an Olympic sprint final in three different Olympic Games. He won three medals across those games: a gold in the 4x100m relay in the 1920 Antwerp Games, a gold in the 200m dash, and a silver in the 100m dash in the 1924 Paris Games. In his third and final Olympics, he finished 4th in the 100m dash. Despite the low profile during his college years, Scholz is the most decorated Olympian to come out of Mizzou.
2. Chidi Imoh
Imoh, who competed at Mizzou from 1983 to 1986, is one of the best track and field athletes in the school's history. He won 11 conference gold championships during his time at Mizzou and also claimed gold in the 100m sprint at the African Championships in 1984 and 1985.
As a three-time Olympian, Imoh competed in various events, including the 100m dash, the 4x100m relay, and the long jump. He was part of the Nigerian 4x100m relay team that won silver at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, marking only the second silver medal in Nigerian Olympic history.
3. Natasha Kaiser
The former NCAA All-American in the 400m dash competed for Mizzou from 1985 to 1989. During that span, she garnered five Big Eight conference titles in the 400m and was named the Big Eight Conference Female Athlete of the Year in 1989. Kaiser's international résumé is equally impressive, highlighted by a gold medal in the 4x400m relay and a silver medal in the 400m at the 1993 World Championships.
A two-time Olympian, Kaiser represented the U.S. at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. At the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, she won a silver medal in the 4x400m relay, becoming the first and only female Mizzou athlete to win an Olympic medal.
4. Christian Cantwell
Cantwell attended Mizzou from 1999 to 2003, where he competed primarily in field events, particularly shot put. During his time at Mizzou, he was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and became a six-time Big 12 Conference champion, with five of those titles in shot put.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Cantwell earned a silver medal in shot put, and at the 2012 London Games, he finished 4th. The silver medal adds to a very impressive international career, which also includes a gold at the 2009 World Championships and three golds at the Indoor World Championships.
5. Dan Pippin
Pippin played for the Mizzou Tigers men's basketball team from 1943 to 1948, during which time he earned two Big Six First Team mentions. In the 1952 Summer Games held in Helsinki, Pippin captained the U.S. basketball team. According to Basketball Reference, Pippin averaged 6.8 points per game while leading the U.S. team to a gold medal victory over the Soviet Union. This remains the only Olympic medal earned by a Tiger in basketball to this day.