SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury University women's swimmer Katya Rudenko will swim for her native Kazakhstan this weekend at the summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Rudenko will compete in the 100 meter backstroke and will be in action for the preliminary heats on Sunday afternoon. Should she qualify, the semifinals are Sunday night and the finals for the event are set for Monday night. The preliminary rounds, the semifinals and the finals will be broadcast live on NBC (KY-3, TV) as well as on the internet on NBC's Olympic broadcast site. 

The junior from Astana, Kazakhstan, swam for the Panthers in 2014 and 2015. After returning to her native country last year, Rudenko is expected to return to Drury this season. 

Two years ago, Rudenko won three individual NCAA-II national championships and has been a part of four national championship relay squads in her two seasons. She played a key role in Drury's 2014 national championship team and a national runner-up squad in 2015.

Rudenko will be competing in her third Olympic Games. She represented Kazakhstan in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in London for the 2012 Olympics. Rudenko will return to Drury with two years of eligibility remaining. 

Drury women's swimming & diving has won 10 NCAA-II national championship and three NAIA national titles. The Panthers open the 2016-17 season with a dual at the University of Arkansas on Oct. 14. 

###