Past and present Griffith University students won 24 medals at Paris Olympics

This university’s 38 current and past students collectively took home 24 medals, which would have earned it 11th place – ahead of New Zealand and Canada.

Cam McEvoy, Jess Fox, Kaylee McKeown and Grace Brown all won gold in Paris.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles.

If Griffith University were a country competing in this year’s Paris Olympics, it would have come in 11th place – just ahead of New Zealand and Canada.

The university had 38 athletes, including 19 current students and numerous alumni and swim squad members, competing in the Games and collectively took home 24 medals (10 gold, eight silver and six bronze).

This achievement appears to be rivalled only by Stanford University in the US, whose athletes won 39 medals – putting the elite California university in seventh place on the world leader board.

Griffith athletes accounted for 34 per cent of the country’s spoils, winning 18 of Australia’s 53 medals. Griffith women won 16 of the 24 medals. Australia’s most decorated Olympian, Emma McKeon, who won a gold, a silver and a bronze in Paris, graduated from Griffith with a ­bachelor of public health. Her Griffith swimming squad teammate, Kaylee McKeown, won gold medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke, and was the first female swimmer to achieve this.

Griffith student Shayna Jack and alum Emma McKeon. Picture: AFP

Canoeist Jessica Fox, who graduated with a master of business administration, won two gold medals, while bachelor of science graduate Cameron McEvoy came out on top in the 50m freestyle final at his fourth Olympics.

All female swimmers from Griffith’s swim club who competed in Paris earned medals, including Lani Pallister, who won gold in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay and is studying a bachelor of laws (honours), and Shayna Jack, who won two gold medals in relay events and is studying a bachelor of criminology and criminal justice.

Cyclist Grace Brown, a marketing graduate, took gold in the women’s individual time trial.

Athletes from the universities of Melbourne and Queensland contributed four and two medals, respectively, to Australia’s tally.

In the US, athletes from the University of California, Berkeley took home 23 medals while those from the University of Southern California took home 15 medals. In Britain, Loughborough University finished with 16 gold, silver and bronze.

Griffith director of sport engagement Duncan Free said he was thrilled to see students and alumni contribute to Australia’s Olympic success.

“Our athletes have performed beyond expectations, not just competing but excelling at the highest level. This success is a testament to their hard work, dedication and the support system at Griffith University,” he said.

Griffith will send 12 athletes to the Paralympic Games in Paris at the end of the month.