#OlympicHokies Central

SCOTT VINCENT

SPORT: Golf

COUNTRY: Zimbabwe

HOW HE QUALIFIED: Vincent qualified based on his No. 239 ranking in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). The field was restricted to the top 60 golfers in the OWGR. The world's top 15 players were eligible, with a country limited to four players. After that, players were eligible based on world ranking, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.

TOKYO SCHEDULE: July 28 — July 31 • 6:30 PM (ET); four 18-hole rounds of stroke play to be played at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

VT CAREER: Still the Hokies' only First Team All-American (2014), Vincent holds the Tech career record for scoring average at 71.65. The 2013 Virginia Collegiate Player of the Year guided the Hokies to four NCAA regional appearances and two national appearances. Vincent was a three-time All-ACC and All-East Region honoree.

IAN HO

SPORT: Swimming

COUNTRY: Hong Kong

HOW HE QUALIFIED: The Blacksburg native qualified in the 50 freestyle, a sprint in which he clocked a 21.97, just .04 below the Olympic standard.

TOKYO SCHEDULE: July 30 — 50 free heats • 6 a.m. ET; July 30 — 50 free semifinals • 9:30 p.m. ET; July 31 — 50 free finals • 9:30 p.m. ET

VT CAREER: Ho was a member of the Virginia Tech swim and dive team from 2015-2019. While at Tech, Ho qualified for ACCs all four years and competed in high level collegiate meets including NCAAs and the Toyota U.S. Open. Ho was a member of several team relays, along with competing in his own sprint events at the top collegiate level.

NEED TO KNOW: Ho is the first Hong Kong men’s swimmer to achieve Olympic A qualifying standard.

QUOTE OF NOTE: “Just work hard and shoot for the moon. The worst that could happen is that you land in the stars, am I right?” ~ Ho on his mentality heading into the Olympics.

ANTANI IVANOV

SPORT: Swimming

COUNTRY: Bulgaria

HOW HE QUALIFIED: Ivanov qualified for the Olympic Games in both the 100- and 200-meter butterfly. The rising senior Hokie recorded a qualifying time of 51.93 in the 100 and 1:54.50 in the 200 earlier this year to secure his spots in the top-two for Bulgaria.

TOKYO SCHEDULE: July 26 — 200-meter butterfly heats • 6 a.m. ET; July 26 — 200-meter butterfly semifinals • 9:30 p.m. ET; July 27 — 200-meter butterfly finals • 9:30 p.m. ET; July 29 — 100-meter butterfly heats • 6 a.m. ET; July 29 — 100-meter butterfly semifinals • 9:30 p.m. ET; July 30 — 100-meter butterfly finals • 9:30 p.m. ET

VT CAREER: A current member of the Virginia Tech swim and dive team, Ivanov has continued to rise up the ranks in butterfly, earning the bronze medal in the 200 and finishing sixth in the 100 at this year's NCAA Championships, earning All-American status in both events.

NEED TO KNOW: Ivanov's bronze medal finish in the 200 butterfly this season marked the highest individual placement in Hokies' swim and dive history at NCAAs.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Only with enormous work can you achieve your goals." ~ Ivanov on his philosophy heading into the Olympics.

YOUSSEF RAMADAN

SPORT: Swimming

COUNTRY: Egypt

HOW HE QUALIFIED: Ramadan delivered a 51.83 in the 100m butterfly to go .13 seconds faster than the Olympic standard.

TOKYO SCHEDULE: July 29 — 100-meter butterfly heats • 6 a.m. ET; July 29 — 100-meter butterfly semifinals • 9:30 p.m. ET; July 30 — 100-meter butterfly finals • 9:30 p.m. ET

VT CAREER: In his freshman season at Virginia Tech, Ramadan won gold in the 100 yard butterfly at the ACC Championships and earned ACC Freshman of the Year. Ramadan's time ranked as the fastest 100-meter butterfly by a freshman in NCAA history. At the NCAA Championships, Ramadan finished eighth in the 50 freestyle to take home All-American honors.

NEED TO KNOW: Ramadan has broken the Egyptian 100-meter butterfly record twice this season.

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I want to swim the fastest time I can and win events, because I will make Egypt proud.” ~ Ramadan on representing his country at the Olympics.

MARCEL LOMNICKÝ

SPORT: Track & Field

EVENT: Hammer Throw

COUNTRY: Slovakia

HOW HE QUALIFIED: Lomnický won the hammer competition at the Slovakian national championships with a throw of 79.19m (259' 5") to book his ticket to Tokyo.

TOKYO SCHEDULE: August 1 – hammer throw qualifying • 8 p.m. ET; August 4 – hammer throw finals • 5:30 p.m. ET

VT CAREER: Lomnický became Tech's second-ever NCAA champion, winning the 2009 NCAA hammer throw title. He added a weight throw NCAA title indoors in 2012, and his Hokies' hammer throw school record has stood since 2011. In 2009, Lomnický was named the Hokies' athlete of the year.

NEED TO KNOW: Tokyo will be Lomnický's third consecutive Olympics. At the 2016 Rio Games, Lomnický finished fifth in the hammer.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "You take your first step and then you do not stop. You never stop. You work, and you work, and you work harder, and harder, and harder." ~ Lomnický on his philosophy heading into the Olympics.

IRENA GILLAROVÁ

SPORT: Track & Field

EVENT: Javelin Throw

COUNTRY: Czech Republic

HOW SHE QUALIFIED: Gillarová secured selection to the Czech team competing in Tokyo through her World Athletics ranking, where she currently sits 28th in the world with a personal best of 61.32m (201' 2").

TOKYO SCHEDULE: August 2 – javelin throw qualifying • 8 p.m. ET; August 6 – javelin throw finals • 6:50 a.m. ET

VT CAREER: At Virginia Tech, Gillarová won the NCAA championship in the javelin twice (2015, 2017). She earned bronze at the 2015 World University Games, and her Hokies' record of 59.89m (196' 6") still stands.

NEED TO KNOW: Gillarová competed at Virginia Tech as Irena Sediva, changing her surname to Gillarová in 2020.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Deciding on change is sometimes difficult and takes courage. But by choosing a harder path, we gain value and grow. Change is good." ~ Gillarová on her mindset as an Olympian.

BARBORA MALÍKOVÁ

SPORT: Track & Field

EVENT: 400 meters

COUNTRY: Czech Republic

HOW SHE QUALIFIED: At the Czech Republic National Championships, Malíková won gold in the 400m with a time of 51.23, breaking her own U20 national record and securing her second national title.

TOKYO SCHEDULE: August 2 – 400m prelims • 8 p.m. ET; August 4 – 400m semifinals • 5:30 a.m. ET; August 6 – 400m finals • 6:50 a.m. ET

VT CAREER: Malíková becomes the Hokies' youngest Olympian as she will join the track and field team as a freshman for the 2021-22 season.

NEED TO KNOW: In addition to her 400m triumph at the Czech championships, Malíková earned two more medals at the European U23 Championships. She won gold in the 4x400m relay with a 50.78 anchor leg and took silver in the individual 400m. In 2018, Malíková won gold in the 400m at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games.

QUOTE OF NOTE: “I take something from everyone, I look at both the bad and the good to get better.” ~ Malíková on her inspirations and role models as an Olympian.