South Carolina can now claim a stake in two more gold medals thanks to the triumphs of women's basketball coach Dawn Staley and long-distance runner and alumna Natasha Hastings. South Carolina alumni and staff have captured 14 medals going back to the 2000 Sydney Games.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley continued her legacy of dominance on the Olympic stage as Team USA defeated Spain 101-72 in the gold medal game.
Staley, who was the flag-bearer for the U.S. in 2004, has participated in and has received gold medals in five different Olympics. In 1996, 2000 and 2004, she was on the roster as a player and has been on the coaching staff for the past two Olympic games.
After finishing fourth in the individual 400-meter event, Natasha Hastings found her way to the podium by capturing a gold medal in the 400-meter relay. The South Carolina alum ran the second leg for Team USA to earn their sixth consecutive gold medal in the event.
In addition to Hastings, the relay team was comprised by Courtney Okolo, Phyllis Francis and Allyson Felix.
Hastings, who also won a gold medal in the same event in the 2008 Beijing Games, was a decorated long-distance runner during her time at South Carolina. She was named the 2007 SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year.