CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Beginning Aug. 5, the rest of the sports world will stop for nearly a month as more than 10,000 athletes from the around the world travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to compete for gold in the Summer Olympic Games.
And 17 of those elite athletes are Tar Heels.
Representing the United States, Turkey, India and New Zealand, former Carolina student-athletes will contend for medals in track and field, field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s soccer.
“We are proud to have so many students representing North Carolina and their countries at the 2016 Olympics," said UNC Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham.