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The latest news from the USOC - August 12
By The Source
Aug 12, 2004

(Courtesy of United States Olympic Committee)...This is a long article. If you'd like to search for a particular sport, press Ctrl-F then type the name to wish to look up.

Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - The following is a recap of events from the United States Olympic Committee.

Archery: (Aug. 10) The Olympic Games archery competition will begin with the Ranking Round on Aug. 12 at the Dekelia Archery Training Complex. The women compete in the morning, followed by the men in the evening. For more information, log on to www.usarchery.org.

Baseball: (Aug. 9) The 2004 USA Baseball Women's National Team defeated Japan, 2-0, to claim the gold medal at the first IBAF World Cup of Women's Baseball at Telus Field in Edmonton, Alberta. Kristin Mills (Bear, Del.) threw a three-hit shutout en route to the victory. Team USA wrapped up a very successful first summer of women's baseball by finishing with an overall record of 9-2. For more information, log on to www.usabaseball.com.

Basketball: (Aug. 4) USA co-captain Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers) made his first-ever buzzer-beater shot to lift the 2004 USA Basketball Men�s Senior National Team to an 80-77 victory over Germany. The U.S. squad overcame a 32- point effort by NBA All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, who almost single-handedly kept Germany in the game. (Aug. 5) The USA Women�s Junior World Championship Qualifying Team coasted to a 128-43 win over Argentina in the opening round of the 2004 FIBA America�s Qualifying Tournament. Team USA began the game with a 15-0 run, including a dunk by forward Candace Parker (Naperville, Ill.). (Aug. 5) Just 22 hours after handing Argentina an 84-point loss, Team USA continued its dominance in a 143-24 romp against Bolivia. The U.S. Junior Team shot 85 percent from the floor and broke the game open with a 56-3 run in the first period. (Aug. 5) The 2004 USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team (14-0) picked up right where it left off last April and rolled to a 74-58 victory over a team of WNBA All-Stars. The game was a send-off for the team as it readies for the 2004 Olympic Games. The U.S. did not disappoint its fans as Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Yolanda Griffith (Sacramento Monarchs) and Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) each notched double-doubles. (Aug. 6) The Men�s Senior Team handed Serbia and Montenegro its first loss in its new arena, 78-60, in exhibition play. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) led the U.S. squad with 16 points. (Aug. 7) Team USA got off to its slowest start yet against host team Puerto Rico - leading just 8-4 at the 6:15 mark of the first period - but Marissa Coleman (Washington, D.C.) found her shooting groove and led the USA Juniors on a 24-4 run that ended in a 124-49 victory. (Aug. 7) A duo of U.S. players teamed up to score 26 of their team�s 49 first half points as the USA Juniors defeated Brazil, 99-38. Laura Harper (Elkins Park, Pa.) and Candace Parker carried Team USA into the gold-medal game versus Puerto Rico. (Aug. 8) The winning ways continued as the Women�s Senior National Team improved its record to 15-0 by defeating France, 68-38. The United States, in its final exhibition contest before opening play in Athens on Aug. 14, will go up against Spain on Aug. 9 in the championship contest of the 2004 Spanish International Tournament. (Aug. 8) After watching a 17-point third quarter lead shrink to three with 3:40 to play, the U.S. Senior Team limited Turkey to one field goal the rest of the game to seal a 79-67 win. Tim Duncan led the U.S. squad (4-1) with 16 points. (Aug. 9) The U.S. Women�s Junior Team upended host city Puerto Rico for the second time in three days and captured gold in a 121-56 romp. (Aug. 9) The Women's Senior National Team (16-0) closed out its pre-Olympic exhibition schedule with a 77-61 victory over host and 2004 Olympic competitor Spain. Behind a team high 14 points from Swin Cash (Detroit Shock) and a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds from Lisa Leslie, the U.S. earned the championship at the Spanish-hosted 2004 International Invitational. (Aug. 10) The Men�s Senior Team wrapped up its six-game exhibition tour riding the back of Tim Duncan, as the two-time NBA MVP shouldered the USA offense with a 25 point performance in an 80-68 victory over Turkey. For more information, log on to www.usabasketball.com.

Biathlon: (Aug. 5) In the opening day of the Rollerski Biathlon competition in Jericho, Vt., Tracy Barnes (Durango, Colo.) and Jeremy Teela (Anchorage, Alaska) grabbed top honors. Barnes won the Senior Women�s 7.5K Sprint while Teela hung on to win the Men�s 10K competition. (Aug. 6) For the second day in a row, Jeremy Teela and Tracy Barnes claimed victories in the Pursuit competition at the Ethan Allen Firing Range. Teela covered the 12.5K in 31:26 while Barnes finished in 28:45.2, 26.7 seconds ahead of twin sister, Lanny. (Aug. 7) Competing during a steady, pouring rain, Tracy Barnes and Jeremy Teela captured the Mass Start titles and completed their sweep of the Rollerski Biathlon competition. For more information, log on to www.usbiathlon.org.

Bowling: (Aug. 6) Junior Team USA�s four-player girls squad made history by capturing the first female team gold medal in Federation Internationale des Quilleurs World Youth Championships and the first U.S. gold overall this year at the Central Lakes Bowling Center in Tamuning, Guam. Thanks to 782, 877 and 800 games, the United States squad finished the two-day, six-game event 209 pins ahead of its nearest competition with 4,787. Australia collected the silver medal with 4,578 and England earned the bronze. (Aug. 6) Two Junior Team USA bowlers earned silver medals in the 18-game, all-events competition at the FIQ World Youth Championships. Jennifer Petrick (Canton, Ohio) recorded a 203.4 average while David O�Sullivan (Yonkers, N.Y.) ended with a 212.5 score. (Aug. 7) Junior Team USA�s Jennifer Petrick won seven of eight matches to hold the lead midway through the girls Masters match play competition at the 2004 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Youth Championships. (Aug. 8) Jennifer Petrick defeated teammate Stefanie Nation (Orlando, Fla.) and became the fourth U.S. female to earn a gold medal at the World Youth Championships. For more information, log on to www.bowlingamericas.com.

Boxing: (Aug. 4) The U.S. Olympic Boxing Team got its first peek at the Peristeri Boxing Hall in Athens, Greece. The U.S. Team was the first Olympic squad to see the completed boxing venue for the 2004 Olympic Games. For more information, log on to www.usaboxing.org.

Cycling: (Aug. 9) U.S. Olympic Team member Dede Barry (Boulder, Colo.) won the 73km Sparkassen Giro Bochum, a UCI 1.9.2 categorized event in Germany. Against a strong international field, Barry escaped from the main bunch during the climb on the second lap of five on the 14km circuit. Racing with Olympic teammates Christine Thorburn (Davenport, Iowa) and Kristin Armstrong (Boise, Idaho), Barry managed to maintain a minute gap throughout the remainder of the race and eventually finished alone with a 36-second advantage on the field. (Aug. 10) Members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team arrived at the athletes� village in Athens to prepare for the start of the cycling competition on Aug. 14. The Men�s Road Race Team - made up of Tyler Hamilton (Marblehead, Mass.), George Hincapie (Greenville, S.C.), Bobby Julich (Glenwood Springs, Colo.), Levi Leipheimer (Santa Rosa, Calif.) and Jason McCartney (Coralville, Iowa) - will complete 17 laps of a challenging 13.2km circuit for a total of 224.4km in a single day. For more information, log on to www.usacycling.org.

Diving: (Aug. 9) America�s best junior divers began their quest for junior national titles and spots on the Junior National Team on the first day of the 2004 Speedo National Diving Championships. The top four divers in each preliminary event advance to the event finals. In addition, the top four finishers in each event from last month�s East and West Junior National Diving Championships received a bye into the finals. (Aug. 10) The United States Diving Team will have a press conference on Aug. 12 in the Main Press Center in Athens, Greece. All 11 athletes and five coaches will be present. (Aug. 10) Fourteen-year-old diving phenom Thomas Finchum (Indianapolis, Ind.), who narrowly missed making the 2004 U.S. Olympic Diving Team back in June, was one of six divers earning junior national titles on the second day of the 2004 Speedo National Junior Diving Championships. For more information, log on to www.usdiving.org.

Equestrian: (Aug. 10) The Executive Committee, the Committee of Selections of the United States Equestrian Federation and the USOC Delegation Review Committee approved that Amy Tyron (Redmond, Wash.), a member of the 2004 Olympic Eventing Team, will ride Poggio II in her Olympic competition. Tyron, who was named to the team riding My Beau, was previously a replacement rider/reserve candidate on Poggio II. For more information, log on to www.usef.org.

Field Hockey: (Aug. 9) USA Field Hockey Association welcomed the newest members of its international elite teams following the selection of the 2004-05 U.S. Women's Under-16 Squad. The roster features three repeat selections from the 2003-04 team - Michelle Drummonds (Elkton, Md.), Hollis Barber (Toledo, Ohio) and goalkeeper Samantha Nelson (Rockville, Md.). For more information, log on to www.usfieldhockey.com.

Hockey: (Aug. 4) The USA Hockey National Team Development Program announced its 2004-05 schedule for the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams. The NTDP will play more than 110 games during the 2004-05 season, highlighted by the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championship in the Czech Republic and the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Alberta. (Aug. 6) Five champions were crowned at the 2004 USA Hockey InLine National Championships in Alpharetta, Ga. Titles were awarded in the College Club, High School Varsity and Junior Varsity divisions, and the USA Open 14- and 17-and-Under divisions. The event featured 102 teams, competing in 15 divisions, making it the largest national championships ever. For more information, log on to www.usahockey.com.

Judo: (Aug. 9) The USA Judo Team went through team processing at the American College of Greece and spent the rest of the day relaxing in the Olympic Village. Judo begins Aug. 14 with the men's and women's lightest weight categories. For more information, log on to www.usjudo.org.

Luge: (Aug. 5) USA Luge announced that Wenger N.A. has agreed to a two-year contract as the association�s "official watch/timer supplier". The Orangeburgh, N.Y. company is the U.S. office for 111-year-old, Switzerland-based Wenger S.A. and is the maker of the genuine Swiss Army Knife. (Aug. 9) Ashley Hayden (Westborough, Mass.) will look to defend her five-time start title when she competes in the JetBlue Airways Luge Start Championships. Hayden, a 22-year-old and 2002 Olympian, is eying her sixth consecutive women�s singles crown as she goes up against teammates Courtney Zablocki (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), a 2002 Olympian, Brenna Margol (Sawyer, Mich.) and Julia Clukey (Augusta, Maine). For more information, log on to www.usaluge.org.

Skiing: (Aug. 9) Three-time Olympian Kirsten Clark (Raymond, Maine) completed her first mini-camp on snow since tearing ligaments in both knees and breaking a wrist last season. For more information, log on to www.usskiteam.com.

Snowboarding: (Aug. 9) Windell's Snowboard Camp in Mt. Hood, Ore., has partnered with U.S. Snowboarding as the Official Summer Training Camp of U.S. Snowboarding. The program provides special training opportunities for U.S. Snowboarding riders at Windell's, and establishes a presence for Windell's in the prestigious Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix series, including a national sweepstakes for Windell's camp programs. The partnership is a first for U.S. Snowboarding. For more information, log on to www.ussnowboarding.org.

Swimming: (Aug. 6) Contrary to rumors and various news reports, coach Eddie Reese has confirmed with USA Swimming that he has yet to decide who will swim on the men's relays. Any swimmer on the roster is eligible for a relay spot. The relay line-ups are due one hour before the race and USA Swimming will not release those line-ups publicly until they have been turned in. (Aug. 6)

Track and Field: (Aug. 4) National Track & Field Hall of Famer Alberto Salazar (Portland, Ore.) winning his third consecutive New York City Marathon in 1982 was honored by USA Track & Field as the No. 20 greatest moment in U.S. Track & Field in the last 25 years. Salazar�s 1982 triumph is the most recent win by an American at the New York City Marathon. (Aug. 4) Many of America's finest athletes age 30 and over will compete for national titles at the 37th USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Aug. 5-8 at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill. The event is open to all men and women athletes ages 30 and over, who will compete in five-year age groups from 30-34, to 95 and over. (Aug. 5) Two world records fell in the men�s pole vault during the first day of competition at the USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships. (Aug. 6) The Team USA women's marathon trio of Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colo.), Deena Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Jen Rhines (Ardmore, Pa.) are spending the days leading up to the 2004 Olympic Games at Team USA training camp on the Greek island of Crete. (Aug. 6) More than one quarter of the athletes who made the 2004 Olympic Team did not have to leave their home state to compete in the Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif. Thirty-one of the 118 athletes currently on the roster - or 26 percent - reside in California. (Aug. 6) Men�s hammer thrower A.G. Kruger (Sheldon, Iowa) and 400m competitor Kelly Willie (Houston, Texas) have been added to the Team USA roster for the 2004 Olympic Games. (Aug. 6) Allen Johnson (Irmo, S.C.), Terrence Trammell (Atlanta, Ga.) and Duane Ross (Clayton, N.C.) swept the top three spots in the men�s 110m hurdles at the Weltklasse IAAF Golden League meet in Zurich, Switzerland. Americans also grabbed the top two spots in the men�s 200 meters as Bernard Williams (Gainesville, Fla.) hit the finish line first in 20.13 seconds while Joshua Johnson (Garland, Texas) was the runner-up in 20.28. (Aug. 6) Many of America�s best track and field athletes, including long jumper Dwight Phillips (Mesa, Ariz.) and men�s 800m runner Jonathon Johnson (College Station, Texas), will compete against teams from Germany and France at the 2004 Team Athletics Challenge in Munich, Germany. (Aug. 6) Becky Sisley (Eugene, Ore.) highlighted day two of the USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships as she threw 31.48 meters/103 feet, 3 inches to win the W65 age group and to record her fourth record in the javelin. (Aug. 7) American 50 km race walkers Curt Clausen (Chula Vista, Calif.), Philip Dunn (San Diego, Calif.) and 20 km race walker John Nunn (Chula Vista, Calif.) are at Team USA training camp on the Greek island of Crete. The trio, who train together at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, are completing final preparations for the Olympic Games. (Aug. 7) Day three of the USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships saw more records fall as Audry Lary (Frederick, Md.) leaped 8.09m/26-6.50 to set a world W70 record in the women's triple jump. (Aug. 8) Flo Meiler (Shelburne, Vt.) hurdled her way to a world W70 record and more age group records tumbled in the 200m, javelin, hammer and relays to conclude the USA Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Meiler ran 1:07.16 to win the 300m hurdles. (Aug. 8) Team USA got a pre-Olympic tune-up at the "Team Challenge" in Germany, posting three world relay leaders and sweeping several events. The women's 4x100 and 4x400m relays and the men's 4x400 all ran world-leading times, while the men's 4x400 also had a strong win. (Aug. 10) USA Track & Field named Flo Meiler its Athlete of the Week after the 70-year-old set a world W70 record in the 300m hurdles. For more information, log on www.usatf.org.

Volleyball: (Aug. 4) The International Volleyball Federation and the Athens Organizing Committee announced the opening pool play schedule for the 2004 Olympic Games Beach Volleyball competition. Dain Blanton (Laguna Beach, Calif.) will open defense of his men�s Olympic beach volleyball (lower case) gold medal when he and Jeff Nygaard (Madison, Wis.) play their first of three pool matches Aug. 14. (Aug. 4) The USA Men�s Junior National Volleyball Team defeated Puerto Rico, 3-1, on the second day of the NORCECA Continental Junior Men�s Volleyball Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Jacob Wiens (Clovis, Calif.) scored a match-high 15 points and Chase Budinger (Encinitas, Calif.) added 14 as Team USA evened its tournament record at 1-1. (Aug. 4) After a bye on the opening day of action at the NORCECA Continental Junior Women�s Volleyball Championships, Team USA, one of the favorite�s in this year�s event, defeated the Dominican Republic, 3-0. Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.) scored a match-high 15 points for the U.S. squad. (Aug. 5) USA Volleyball and U.S. Paralympics announced the members of the USA Men�s Sitting Volleyball Paralympic Team that will be competing in Athens in September. The U.S., which will be making its sixth Paralympic appearance, will take a veteran squad to Greece. Members of the first-ever USA Women�s Sitting Volleyball Paralympic Team were announced as well. The women qualified for September�s Paralympic Games by capturing the gold medal at the Para Pan American Games over Brazil in Argentina last December. (Aug. 5) The USA Women�s Junior National Team advanced to the NORCECO Continental Junior Women�s Volleyball Championship game after defeating Puerto Rico, 3-1, in pool play. For more information, log on to www.usavolleyball.org.

Water Polo: (Aug. 4) The U.S. Men�s Olympic Water Polo Team ran its record to 2-0 with a 5-4 win over Australia at Tasmajdan Pool in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia). (Aug. 5) Sixth-ranked Team USA suffered a 10-3 loss to Serbia and Montenegro in the Belgrade Trophy Tournament after the host team took a 6-0 lead and never looked back. Despite the loss, the U.S. will move into the semifinal round with a game against Olympic bracket foe Croatia. (Aug. 6) In a game that came down to a sudden death shootout, Team USA defeated Croatia 12-11 in the semifinals of the Belgrade Trophy Tournament and will play Serbia and Montenegro for gold. The U.S. squad will face Croatia again in the opening round of the 2004 Olympic Games. (Aug. 7) The U.S. men rounded out their pre-Olympic tournament play with a 5-4 loss to Serbia and Montenegro in the championship game of the Belgrade Trophy Tournament. (Aug. 9) The U.S. Women�s Olympic Water Polo Team will test the waters at the Olympic Aquatic Center in a pre-Olympic Games match against host Greece on Aug. 12.

Water Skiing: (Aug. 4) Sixteen athletes earned national titles in the opening day of the 62nd Annual GOODE Water Ski National Championships. Nearly 1,000 water ski athletes - ages 5 through 91 - from across the United States are competing for national titles in slalom, tricks, jumping and overall during the five-day tournament. (Aug. 4) In the second day of competition, seven athletes won national overall titles at the GOODE Water Ski National Championships. The day was highlighted when 91-year-old Lucille Borgen (Babson Park, Fla.) celebrated her birthday by winning the women 10 slalom and tricks events. She was the lone competitor in the event and became the oldest person to ski at Nationals. (Aug. 5) Day three of the Water Ski National Championships saw nine more athletes win national overall titles. (Aug. 6) Thirteen athletes, including Carly Clifton (Monroe, La.), Jeff Surdej (Wilmington, Ill.) and Jennifer Wood (Central, S.C.), won national overall titles during the fourth day of competition at the Water Ski National Championships. (Aug. 7) To wrap up the final day of the Water Ski National Championships, four athletes, Michael Ise (Miami Springs, Fla.), Kevin Withrow (Little Rock, Ark.), Brody Reid (Jerseyville, Ill.) and Jane Greenwood (Little Rock, Ark.), won national titles. (Aug. 7) Nearly 1,000 competitors are vying for a title at the MasterCraft Division 2 Show Ski National Championships in Evansdale, Iowa. Athletes are competing for individual titles in swivel, adagio doubles and team jumping. (Aug. 9) The Chippewa Lake Water Ski Show Team (Chippewa Lake, Ohio) captured its first national title at the fourth annual MasterCraft Division 2 Show Ski National Championships. For more information, log on to www.usawaterski.org.

Wrestling: (Aug. 4) Complete 2004 Olympic Games wrestling information is now available on the Internet at www.themat.com. The site previews each weight class and will be updated throughout August as Team USA prepares for competition in Athens. (Aug. 8) The U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team arrived in Athens, Greece, the first of the American wrestlers to arrive to compete in the 2004 Olympic Games. (Aug. 9) The U.S. Women�s Wrestling Team arrived in Athens. For more information, log on to www.themat.com.