Buckeyes in Beijing: Scarlet, Gray, Gold, Silver and Bronze – Ohio State Buckeyes
8/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A total of 18 Olympic athletes traveled through the Ohio State campus before qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Games. Several Buckeyes will return to the U.S. with medals, including gold won by Michael Redd and Katie Smith of both USA basketball’s men’s and women’s team this weekend.
Jason Rogers and Hanna Thompson helped the U.S. earn silver in men’s and women’s fencing. Thompson’s team won silver in the team foil, the first U.S. women’s medal in the sport. The silver for Rogers’ sabre team was the first for the U.S. men since 1948.
As for the bronze, Raj Bhavsar contributed to a surprise third-place tally for U.S. men’s gymnastics in team competition, while Miles Avery, Ohio State men’s gymnastics head coach, added the bronze team medal to his 2004 gold won in the Athens Games.
In addition, Bryan Volpenhein, a former Ohio State club rower, won bronze as a member of the U.S. eight Thursday.
Synchronized swimmers Becky Kim, a current Buckeye, and Kate Hooven, who completed her Ohio State career in 2004, were on the fifth-place squad in the team competition. Margot Shumway also aided in another top tier U.S. finish in rowing as her quadruple sculls unit crossed the finish line in fifth place.
More Buckeyes in Beijing …
Softball – Kristi De Vries, from softball, was the starting pitcher for the Netherlands in three of their seven games.
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Swimming – In men’s swimming, Ohio State sophomore Niksa Roki broke Croatian national marks in the 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly. His times also set Ohio State long course marks.
Competing for Isreal, Buckeye Itai Chammah set a personal best in the 200 backstroke.
Former women’s swimmer Gulsah Guenec, competing for Turkey, set a national mark in the 200-meter butterfly.
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Tennis – Devin Mullings, a letterwinner from 2004-07, competed for the Bahamas. Mullings dropped his first singles match and fell in doubles to the No. 2 and No. 1 seeded players in the world – Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States.
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Fencing – Siobahn Byrne competed for Ireland in the sabre.
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Gymnastics – Ohio State graduates Morgan and Paul Hamm withdrew from competition because of injuries.
