The Olympians (2002 - 2008)
Click here for Olympians (1912 - 2000)
2008 Beijing
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Lindsey Anderson | Former Weber State All-American Lindsey Anderson is heading to Beijing. Anderson, now an assistant track coach at Weber State, will be the first former Weber State track and field athlete ever to compete in the summer Olympics after she qualified in the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase. The Morgan, Utah native finished second overall in the event at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, clinching a spot on the United States team at the Olympic Games in Beijing. KSL.com | Former Weber State All-American Lindsey Anderson Qualifies for Beijing Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 newsnet.byu.edu |
Niklas Arrhenius | Niklas is a member of the Swedish Olympic Team and will compete in the discus, the throwing event that he won an NCAA individual championship in while competing at BYU. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 paralympics.teamusa.org |
Eric Bennett | Although Eric Bennett has been competing internationally for
just more than a year, he has been shooting in archery tournaments for more
than eight years. At the 2007 IPC World Championships, his first
international tournament, he took third place in the FITA ranking round and
narrowly missed the medal stand, finishing fourth overall. Bennett lost his right arm above the elbow in a rollover car accident when he was 15. At the urging of his father, he got back into archery nine years ago. Having only one arm, Bennett competed using a mouthtab for many years. Recently, however, he switched to a shoulder release, a move that has already paid off. Using his new release, he shot a qualifying score high enough to secure his bid for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team. paralympics.teamusa.org Eric served a full time mission in New Zealand he is a high school physics teacher and tennis coach at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Ariz. |
Paralympic athletes head to Beijing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April Steiner Bennett | Pole-vaulter April Steiner Bennett is a Mesa, Ariz., native and University of Arkansas graduate. During her time at Arkansas, Steiner Bennett was a four-time All-American and the 2003 SEC Outdoor Champion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Laura Berg | A three-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist in softball, Berg has been a world-class athlete since becoming an USA National Team member in 1994. Her memorable Olympic highlights include scoring the first run of the gold medal game in 1996 and collecting the game-winning hit in 2000. She also has captured gold medals at three ISF World Championships in addition to a pair of gold medals at Pan American Games. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jill Camarena | Jill Camarena of Tucson, Ariz., competes in shot put; she graduated from Stanford and did post-graduate studies at BYU. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 deseretnews.com |
Chris Dodds | In 2004, he was member of the U.S. men's goalball team that claimed a bronze medal in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. He returns to the team in 2008 in China. Goalball is an indoor game for visually-impaired athletes. Teams guard a goal that spans the length of the court while trying to score on their opponent by rolling a weighted ball that has bells on it at the other team's goal. Players throw their bodies on the floor in an attempt to block the fast-moving ball. deseretnews.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Maria Gabriela Martinez Gascon | FENCING: Maria Gabriela Martinez Gascon competed in the women's individual epee. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 USA Softball |
Tairia Flowers | First baseman for the U.S. women's softball team. Flowers
was a member of the gold-winning American squad in Athens in 2004
“My desire to succeed is greater than my fear of failure.” A quote Mims remarks as one to live by, she also adds the one thing softball means to her is opportunity in so many ways womenssportsnet.com |
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Jake Gibb | United States' beach volleyball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alicia Hollowell | Right-handed pitcher Alicia Hollowell, a University of Arizona alum, is an alternate member of the U.S. team. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Natasha Kai | Natasha Kai of Kahuku, Hawaii, is a forward and the No. 3 goal-scorer on the U.S. Soccer team. Natasha made her full Women’s National Team debut at the 2006 Algarve Cup in Portugal, scoring in her first two games against Denmark and France, both as a substitute. She became the 4th player in WNT history to score in her first two caps and is the first-ever player from Hawaii to play for the full U.S. WNT. She enjoys singing and takes after her father Benny Kai, who is a professional singer at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Oahu. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 usavolleyball.org |
Rich Lambourne | United States men's indoor volleyball team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Josh McAdams | Men's 3,000-meter steeplechase. He won the 2006 NCAA outdoor title in the event, as well as the 2007 USA Outdoors and 2007 Pan American Games championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ryan Millar | United States men's indoor volleyball team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 azstarnet.com
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Lacey Nymeyer | She will compete in the 100-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter freestyle relay swimming events. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 www.nzherald.co.nz |
Hayley Palmer | New Zealand Women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay team in swimming. After moving to Cheltenham, England at the age of three, Palmer took up competitive swimming at a young age but it has only just started to make an impact in the past six months since returning to New Zealand. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 www.basketball.org.nz |
Charmian Purcell | New Zealand women’s basketball team.
Purcell made her Tall Fern debut in 2001 against Australia.She was also NZ U23 MVP that year, but did not return to the national team until 2005, when she was recalled for the Oceania Championships against the Opals. Purcell played for the Sydney Flames in the Australian WNBL in 2005/06 and was in the starting five when the Ferns won silver medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.She was one of the first players to sign for the new Christchuch-based entry into the defencejobs Australian WNBL www.basketball.org.nz |
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 www.basketball.org.nz |
Natalie Purcell | New Zealand women’s basketball team.
Purcell has represented New Zealand through the age groups, but this is her first tour with the Tall Ferns. She attended Hutchinson Community College (where younger sister Hayley currently plays) before transferring to Southeast Missouri State University, helping them to the 2006 NCAA Tournament and registering a ědouble doubleî (17 points/13 points) in their first round loss to Stanford University. Purcell joins older sister Charmian in the national team and was one of the first players to sign for the Christchurch Sirens in the Australian WNBL. www.basketball.org.nz |
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Melanie Roach | She will compete for the United States in women's weightlifting in the 53-kilogram weight class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 www.basketball.org.nz |
Noni Wharemate | New Zealand women’s basketball team.
Wharemate is a former NZ age group representative who spent a very successful college stint with the University of Texas El Paso, where she set a career record for assists. She was Best Defensive Player in the 2001 WNBL and made her Tall Fern debut at the 2005 William Jones Cup in Taiwan. Wharemate was part of the Ferns squad that won silver medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and was selected to the All-Star Five at the 2006 Womenís CBL and 2007 WBL finals. She was named captain of the Tall Fern team to tour Japan in 2007 and was one of the first players to sign for the Christchurch Sirens in the Australian WNBL. www.basketball.org.nz |
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2006 Torino |
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 www.groms.tv |
Torah Bright Snowboarding |
"Religion is my life," says Bright, a Mormon. "It's hard
when I am on the road because I go to church every Sunday." I can go six
weeks and not make it because I am traveling or am in another country but I
always have my scriptures handy and I read a lot. "It keeps me grounded and
gives me a purpose to what I am doing."
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Religion gives Olympian Bright a boost | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Desert News |
Michele Despain Luger |
Hoeger's dad was born and raised in Venezuela, and Hoeger is also a dual citizen. He and his dad competed in luge for Venezuela in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, fulfilling a lifelong dream for Hoeger's dad. | Dual-citizen athlete to race luge for Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 www.nrk.no |
Werner Hoeger Luge |
Between the two of them, Latter-day Saint father and son Werner and Chris have set a few Olympic records. For one, Werner was the oldest male competitor at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Games, and will be for the upcoming Torino games as well. They were also the first father and son to compete against each other in the same event at the same Olympics. | Winning at Luging Latter-day Saint father and son Werner and Chris have set a few Olympic records. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 www.nbcolympics.com |
Steve Nyman | Nyman is a Mormon, and he says "it's been tough to uphold my standards" on the party-hard skiing circuit. He says he enjoys going out with friends to celebrate good performances but that he's not one of the guys who will stay out past 2 a.m. "I feel confident with who I am and what I believe in," | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 www.nbcolympics.com |
Shauna Rohbock US Bobsled Pilot |
Born in Provo, Utah and raised in Orem, Shauna has been
athletic all of her life. She grew up playing soccer and ran track and field
as a youngster. As a student-athlete at BYU, she was named All-American in
both soccer and in track and field as an heptathalete--twice in both sports
She won a silver metal in the 2006 Olympics
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Keep This Soldier Home | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 Athens |
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 Photo: California Bears |
Megan Dirkmaat rowing (USA) silver 2004 Athens |
From San Jose, California, Sister Dirkmaat was part of the U.S. crew that placed second in the 22 Aug women's eight finals.
The Americans finished 1.86 seconds behind gold-medalists of Romania.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
Rower winds silver medal By Dana Lynn Flatekval, Windsor Heights Herald 27 Aug 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lucia Fernanda Palerma rowing (Argentina) 2004 Athens |
She was eliminated in lightweight double skulls heats.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
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Rachelle Smith-Kunkel diving (USA) 2004 Athens |
From West Valley High School. She started diving in high school. She dove for Brigham young University.
Professionally, she works as a labor and delivery nurse. Source: Labor and Delivery by Kelly L. Martinez, Meridian Magazine, 27 may 2003 |
LDS Athlete List by Kelly Martinez, Meridian Magazine, 05 Dec 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tiffany Lott-Hogan track and field (USA) 2004 Athens |
In 1997, she flew past five hurdles and 55 meters in 7.30 seconds
(faster than Jackie Joyner-Kersee has ever done it) to claim the world best title.
In 2004, she finished 20th in the women's heptathlon in Athens.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
Lott-Hogan feature By Beky Beaton, the Daily Herald, Provo, Utah, 09 Aug 2004 |
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 Photo: UCLA Buins |
Tairia Mims Flowers softball (USA) gold 2004 Athens |
Team USA went undefeated, giving up only one run during the Games. Sister Mims Flowers is from Tucson, Arizona.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
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John Nunn track and field (USA) 2004 Athens |
He finished 26th in 20km race walk.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
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 Photo: USA Track and Field |
James Parker track and field (USA) 2004 Athens |
He served a mission from 1996-1997.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, he was eliminated in the hammer throw semifinal.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
USA Track and Field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Photo: Go Stanformd |
Grant Robison track and field (USA) 2004 Athens |
He was eliminated in 1,500 meters semifinals.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
Mosiah Rodriguez gymnastics (Brazil) 2004 Athens |
He was eliminated during qualifying rounds of various individual events.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
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 Photo: Iowa State Cyclones |
Cael Sanderson wrestling (USA) gold 2004 Athens |
He is the only undefeated, four-time champion in NCAA history.
He graduated from Iowa State University.
He is the all time NCAA record holder in Division I with a career record of 159-0.&nbs[;
He won the gold medal in his weight class (74-84kg).
Source: Iowa State Cyclones Cael is the youngest, the tallest and the most successful wrestler of this Mormon trio. |
Washington Post | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jodi Tini basketball (New Zealand) 2004 Athens |
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Justin Wilcock diving (USA) 2004 Athens |
He was eliminated during 3-meter springboard preliminaries.
Source: LDS athletes mine Oly 'metals', LDS Church News Archives, 28 Aug 2004. |
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Paora Winitana basketball (New Zealand) 2004 Athens |
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Guard Young gymnastics (USA) silver 2004 Athens |
He is from Oklahoma city, Oklahoma.
His father, Wayne Young, was also an Olympian.
He has five sisters and on brother.
He is BYU's only all around champion gymnast.
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