Former Eastern Michigan University track and field standout Donald Scott recently wrapped up his second Olympic appearance, showcasing his talent on the world stage again.
Competing in the men's triple jump, Scott secured a 14th-place finish in the preliminary round with a leap of 16.77m (55-00.00) on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Scott, who first made waves at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by finishing seventh with a 17.18m (56-04.50) jump, earned his spot at this year's Games through a strong performance at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. Held at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon on June 30, Scott clinched third place with a jump of 16.87m (55-04.25), punching his ticket to represent Team USA once more.
His participation in this year's Olympics continues a long-standing tradition of EMU athletes competing at the highest level. The Ypsilanti school has seen its alumni represent the Eagles in every Summer Olympics since 1960. Scott’s achievement also places him among an elite group of EMU athletes, becoming the eighth former Eagle to qualify for multiple Olympic teams. He follows in the footsteps of Eric Alejandro, who competed for Puerto Rico in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
During his time at Eastern Michigan (2010-15), Scott established himself as one of the program's all-time greats. A three-time All-American and five-time All-MAC First Team honoree, Scott still holds both the indoor and outdoor MAC meet records in the triple jump, with marks of 16.38m (53-09.00) and 16.29m (53-03.50), respectively. Additionally, he broke EMU’s triple jump records five times, with his best indoor (16.84m – 55-03.00) and outdoor (16.83m – 55-02.75) performances still standing today, both set at the NCAA Championships in 2015.
Up next, the Eagles will turn their attention to the Paralympic Games, where alum Brittni Mason is slated to compete in the 100m and 200m T47 dash, further extending EMU's legacy of excellence on the global stage.
