# Who has an area athlete competing in the 2004 Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 26, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904 "2004-07-26T06:29:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/1 "2004-07-26T06:29:19Z")
[Paul Terek, Decathalon](http://www.detnews.com/2004/moresports/0407/25/a01-221709.htm) Really great story about this guy & his family. The press, if he gets any, will eat it up. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/2 "2004-07-26T12:53:40Z")
This is open to all dopers world wide. I would rather root for someone’s homie than whomever the media deigns the Winner. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/3 "2004-07-26T13:39:22Z")
Well, we did have Tracy MacGrady, but he dropped out of both the Olympics and the Magic. Bummer to both. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/4 "2004-07-26T14:40:36Z")
I believe we have several from the Knoxville area, mainly current or former athletes at UT. There’s a local news story [here](http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/olympics/article/0,1406,KNS_937_3049419,00.html) (link may require registration I’m not sure though). ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/5 "2004-07-26T17:08:04Z")
The Canadian flagbearer is (IIRC) a judoka from Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/6 "2004-07-26T18:11:21Z")
Michael Phelps, swimmer who is expected to tie or possibly beat Mark Spitz’s record six gold medals. He lives about 10 minutes from me, and I had his next-door neighbor in my pre-school class this past year. ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/7 "2004-07-27T03:58:47Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > Michael Phelps, swimmer who is expected to tie or possibly beat Mark Spitz’s record six gold medals. > He lives about 10 minutes from me, and I had his next-door neighbor in my pre-school class this past year. This is a pet peeve of mine… I’d say he hopes to, rather than is expected to… He came second in the US trials for 100 Butterfly, so he didn’t even win racing his own countrymen. He’s ranked third for the 200 free, and his time at the trials was over half a second slower than the guy who’s ranked second. So, for individual events, say he is “expected” to win the IMs and the 200 Fly. That’s three. I don’t know which relays he’s in, but the US is not likely to win the 200 Free relay. (On paper the Aussies have a 2 second advantage, plus we won at the last World Champs and Olympics.) So, assuming the US is ranked first in the other two relays (which they aren’t, but that could be because they haven’t raced as a team recently), that is only 5 golds that he is “expected” to win. Plus, the US didn’t win the 4x100m relay at last year’s world championships. So… there are four golds he could be “expected” to win, based on times and previous results. The rest are hype by the media. Also, there’s no reason the US swim team management would pick him to be in the finals of the 4x100m relay or the medly relay, so if the US team does win those events, he probably won’t have swum in the final anyway - a bit of a soft gold medal there. /rant (Nothing against you **Bibliocat** it just annoys me how the media play up these things…) ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/8 "2004-07-27T11:48:27Z")
Andrew Rock, who went to UW-La Crosse (not sure where he’s from) placed 6th in the 400m finals. If he does well future races, he very well may be on the 4x400m relay team. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/9 "2004-07-27T12:24:15Z")
> [@Burnt Sugar](#): > > This is a pet peeve of mine… > I’d say he hopes to, rather than is expected to… He came second in the US trials for 100 Butterfly, so he didn’t even win racing his own countrymen. He’s ranked third for the 200 free, and his time at the trials was over half a second slower than the guy who’s ranked second. So, for individual events, say he is “expected” to win the IMs and the 200 Fly. That’s three. > > I don’t know which relays he’s in, but the US is not likely to win the 200 Free relay. (On paper the Aussies have a 2 second advantage, plus we won at the last World Champs and Olympics.) So, assuming the US is ranked first in the other two relays (which they aren’t, but that could be because they haven’t raced as a team recently), that is only 5 golds that he is “expected” to win. Plus, the US didn’t win the 4x100m relay at last year’s world championships. So… there are four golds he could be “expected” to win, based on times and previous results. The rest are hype by the media. > > Also, there’s no reason the US swim team management would pick him to be in the finals of the 4x100m relay or the medly relay, so if the US team does win those events, he probably won’t have swum in the final anyway - a bit of a soft gold medal there. > > /rant > > (Nothing against you **Bibliocat** it just annoys me how the media play up these things…) Ian Thorpe isn’t fit to drink water that has been filtered through Michael Phelps’ Speedo!!! 6 gold medals – IN THE BANK!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/10 "2004-07-27T15:56:58Z")
[Tara and Dana Kirk](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ronjudd/2001977468_kirks12.html) - sisters both on the swim team. Both graduates of Bremerton High School. First sisters to make the US olympic swim team ---
**Author:** ![Den\_Mum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@Den\_Mum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Den_Mum)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/11 "2004-07-27T19:24:04Z")
Sarah Malone, a graduate of Newberg High School, took second in women’s javelin at Trials. I think there was some question whether the top throws met Olympic qualification standards :rolleyes: They won for pete sakes …I hope they are able to compete. ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/12 "2004-07-27T20:59:11Z")
Malachi Davis is an American 400m runner from Davis, California (near Sacramento). He has been acting as a track and field coach to a small group of 5 to 8 year olds at the UCLA track in Los Angeles, which group of kids includes the daughter of a friend. By all accounts he is an exceptionally kind and gentle man, and the kids absolutely adore him. Based on his times in the 400, he was ranked about 26th in the US, with, basically, zero chance of making the US team. However, in Britian his 400m times would make him the 3rd fastest Brit. It turns out that his mother is British. It also turns out that the British government was able to grant him citizenship in a, let’s say, expedited fashion, and he recently was given a spot on the British olympic team, and will be going with them to Athens. It has been a big story in Britian, evidently, with a lot of national angst about whether he’s a carpetbagger, etc., but the fact that he is a genuinely nice human being seems to be winning them over. That and the fact that he gives the British 400m relay team a legitimate chance at a medal! His back story is interesting too – he almost died of leukemia as a child. Of course, because he’s not on the US team, you probably won’t hear a thing about him on NBC next month. Here’s one (of the many!) articles about him from the British press (don’t you love the internet?): [Malachi Davis](http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athletics/story/0,10082,1267354,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/13 "2004-07-27T23:50:21Z")
[Levi Leipheimer](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5444001/) , who just finished 9th overall in the Tour de France, ehhh, _Le_ Tour de France, will be replacing Armstrong on the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team. He lives part of the year right here in Sunny Santa Rosa. ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/14 "2004-07-28T02:55:55Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Ian Thorpe isn’t fit to drink water that has been filtered through Michael Phelps’ Speedo!!! > > 6 gold medals – IN THE BANK!!! > > 😃 ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!! ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/15 "2004-07-28T02:57:08Z")
What a waste of a 500th post. :smack: Has tiny post count party. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/16 "2004-07-28T12:02:50Z")
> [@Burnt Sugar](#): > > What a waste of a 500th post. :smack: Has tiny post count party. Glad to have inspired it. :::takes a bow::: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/17 "2004-07-29T15:07:24Z")
_Nobody_ from Minnesota? Dang. Well, back to my roots. [Heather](http://www.usoc.org/26_1243.htm) [Petri](http://calbears.collegesports.com/sports/w-wpolo/mtt/petri_heather00.html), water polo, is from my home town, and went to my high school, which has always had a strong swimming program (lots of Olympians, and some of our coaches have coached the Olympic teams…). ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/18 "2004-07-29T17:22:36Z")
I’m sad Gabrielle Rose isn’t swimming this time. She was a few years ahead of me in school. She went to Sydney, but apparently she got Mono right before the Athens trials. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![praxim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@praxim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/praxim)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-an-area-athlete-competing-in-the-2004-olympics/256904/19 "2004-07-29T20:09:05Z")
We have Kerry McCoy from Penn State, seen [here](http://www.kerrytherealmccoy.com/ker-oishi.JPG) with one of his former coaches (my judo coach!), Hachiro Oishi.