No matter your thoughts on where the 2008 Summer Olympics are being held, there are many a finely honed athlete involved; and, many of those incredible athletes have a South Florida connection.
Whether born here, living here now, or training here, the list of men and women heading for the games from these parts is impressive!
In no particular order (and let me know if I've left someone out), these are the South Florida athletes who will partake in the Games of the XXIX Olympiad:
Parkland
Dara Torres, the 41-year-old mother is creating a tidal wave in the Swimming world! Dara appeared in her first Olympic Games a year before Michael Phelps was born. Her
win at the Olympic Trials over women decades younger is a testament to her ridiculously rigorous workout regimen. Dara won 3 Silver Medals!
UPDATE: 7/29/08 - Dara's coach, Michael Lohberg of Weston, is undergoing aggressive treatment for a rare blood disease. It was just last week that Lohberg was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, and it means Dara left for Bejing without her beloved Coach.
Coconut Creek
Jana Bieger, daughter of three time Olympian Andrea Bieger, will attempt to follow mom in the field of Gymnastics.
Coral Springs
Walter Dix, who just signed what's said to be a monumental deal with Nike, has been running circles 'round the competition in Track & Field. For the South Florida Judo connection, we have Adler Volmar. Walter won 2 Bronze Medals!
Misty May-Treanor, with partner Kerri Walsh, will attempt another gold in Beach Volleyball.
Misty lives in South Florida part time with her husband, Marlins catcher Matt Treanor. Misty and Kerri won their second consecutive GOLD!
Miami
Bershawn Jackson (hurdles), Tiffany Ross-Williams (hurdles) and Rafeeq Curry (triple jump), and Lauryn Williams (100 meter) all have ties to South Florida and all aim to compete in Track & Field. Lauryn, silver medalist in the 2004 Games, once brought her dog, Athena, to the Humane Society's Walk for the Animals at Bayfront Park. Then there's Nancy Rios, who'll try to sail her way to gold! Dwyane Wade & Sylvia Fowles will dribble for a medal as part of the US Olympic Basketball Team. Bershawn won a Bronze Medal! Dwyane and Sylvia also win GOLD!
Boca Raton
Jevon Tarantino will Dive into his first Olympics, literally. Jevon's coach is Lake Worth's own Dave Burgering - he missed a shot at diving in the Olympics due to the 1980 boycott. In the soccer category, we're neighbors with one Jozy Altidore.
West Palm Beach
The Williams Sisters, Venus and Serena will be on the tennis court in Bejing, while Laura Bennett will be part of the triathalon. Laura Kraut is riding in on the equestrian ticket.
Venus and Serean won GOLD!
Whether born here, living here now, or training here, the list of men and women heading for the games from these parts is impressive!
In no particular order (and let me know if I've left someone out), these are the South Florida athletes who will partake in the Games of the XXIX Olympiad:
Parkland
Dara Torres, the 41-year-old mother is creating a tidal wave in the Swimming world! Dara appeared in her first Olympic Games a year before Michael Phelps was born. Her
win at the Olympic Trials over women decades younger is a testament to her ridiculously rigorous workout regimen. Dara won 3 Silver Medals!
UPDATE: 7/29/08 - Dara's coach, Michael Lohberg of Weston, is undergoing aggressive treatment for a rare blood disease. It was just last week that Lohberg was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, and it means Dara left for Bejing without her beloved Coach.
Coconut Creek
Jana Bieger, daughter of three time Olympian Andrea Bieger, will attempt to follow mom in the field of Gymnastics.
Coral Springs
Walter Dix, who just signed what's said to be a monumental deal with Nike, has been running circles 'round the competition in Track & Field. For the South Florida Judo connection, we have Adler Volmar. Walter won 2 Bronze Medals!
Misty May-Treanor, with partner Kerri Walsh, will attempt another gold in Beach Volleyball.
Misty lives in South Florida part time with her husband, Marlins catcher Matt Treanor. Misty and Kerri won their second consecutive GOLD!
Miami
Bershawn Jackson (hurdles), Tiffany Ross-Williams (hurdles) and Rafeeq Curry (triple jump), and Lauryn Williams (100 meter) all have ties to South Florida and all aim to compete in Track & Field. Lauryn, silver medalist in the 2004 Games, once brought her dog, Athena, to the Humane Society's Walk for the Animals at Bayfront Park. Then there's Nancy Rios, who'll try to sail her way to gold! Dwyane Wade & Sylvia Fowles will dribble for a medal as part of the US Olympic Basketball Team. Bershawn won a Bronze Medal! Dwyane and Sylvia also win GOLD!
Boca Raton
Jevon Tarantino will Dive into his first Olympics, literally. Jevon's coach is Lake Worth's own Dave Burgering - he missed a shot at diving in the Olympics due to the 1980 boycott. In the soccer category, we're neighbors with one Jozy Altidore.
West Palm Beach
The Williams Sisters, Venus and Serena will be on the tennis court in Bejing, while Laura Bennett will be part of the triathalon. Laura Kraut is riding in on the equestrian ticket.
Venus and Serean won GOLD!
Sanya won a GOLD and Bronze Medal!
Plantation
Sailing the laser radial will be Anna Tunnicliffe - she's ranked #3 in the world and won the 2008 Miami Olympic Regatta. Anna won the GOLD Medal!
And... if we really wanna stretch it (and we do 'cause he's cute), from the University of Florida
we have Gator-boy swimmer Ryan Lochte! Ryan won 2 GOLD and 2 Bronze Medals!
Congratulations and good luck to all - bring home the GOLD!!
Some Olympic facts:
In 1904, athletes were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals for the first time. Before that, top finishers received a silver medal and an olive branch. And then it took until 1960, in Rome, before the medals were hung around the athletes' necks.
You'll love this one - The women's marathon became an Olympic event only in 1984 - 56 years after Olympic doctors claimed that women who ran even 800 meters would "become old too soon".
1 comment:
I'm pulling for Walter Dix, my nearby neighbor!
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