Purdue has its first gold medalist of the Rio Olympics and it comes from an unlikely source. Amanda Elmore, a West Lafayette native who rowed for the Purdue club rowing team before graduating and moving on to Michigan, where she also competed, was a member of the U.S. women's 8's coxed rowing team that won gold this morning.

The women's team completed the course in 6:01.49 to win its third straight Olympic gold int he event. Great Britain was second at 6:03.98 followed closely by Romania in 6:04.10.

This is officially the second medal of these games by Purdue athletes. David Boudia and Steele Johnson already won silver in men's synchronized diving and both should be in the hunt for a medal in the individual competition. Purdue still has Kara Winger and Carmiesha Cox who can medal in track & field as well as Paula Reto in golf. Finally, Aya Traore has been playing basketball for Senegal, but they are out of medal contention.