Alumnus Gets Kick Out of 1st Olympic Experience

Although he has spent more than 13 years competing in high-level karate, Tom Scott MS’14 didn’t expect to represent Team USA for karate’s debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed until summer 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But when an Iranian world champion was sidelined for doping, Scott, who was an alternate on the Olympic roster, was next in line for the qualifying spot. Nicknamed Captain America, Scott said the last-minute announcement left little time for him to prepare to compete in kumite, the sparring form of karate.

Pictured above in blue gloves, he competed in four bouts — winning two of them — in the elimination rounds, where he faced opponents from Japan, Hungary, Egypt and Ukraine. Although he led early in his third bout and finished pool competition with the second-most points in his category, Scott ended up losing the bout 2-1.

“It was an honor to be there,” said the Naveen Jindal School of Management graduate. “I understand now that the day can go your way or not. I took risks; I went for it; and at the end of the day, that’s what you’ve got to be proud of.”

Scott is a 15-time national champion and a six-time Pan American champion. He teaches at and manages a karate school in Plano, Texas, and is Team USA’s most-decorated karate athlete.

— Melissa Graham