Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Local athlete Olympic medal count update


As the Olympics are now about two weeks old, it's understandable if you've lost track of how the athletes from the Carolinas have done so far. Here's an incomplete rundown, but one that should help:


GOLD MEDALS: Swimmer Ricky Berens (Charlotte), 4x200 freestyle relay (pictured here); Swimmer Mark Gangloff (Charlotte), 4x100 medley relay; Swimmer Cullen Jones (Charlotte and N.C. State), 4x100 relay; Rower Caroline Lind (Greensboro), women's eight.

Gangloff, the only one of those 3 to also qualify for an individual event, finished eighth in the men's 100 breaststroke.

BRONZE MEDALS: Shalane Flanagan (UNC), women's 10,000; Bershawn "Batman" Jackson, men's 400 hurdles. Flanagan still has the women's 5,000 to run but isn't expected to medal there -- the 10K is her best event.

FEELING DISAPPOINTED: Dremiel Byers (Kings Mountain), who was upset in the quarterfinals of the heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestling category and felt terrible afterward.

RETURNING TO TEACH FOURTH GRADE: Jeremy Knowles (Charlotte), the Bahamian, probably knew he wasn't going to medal at these Olympics. He didn't make the final 16 in his events, but he did set some more Bahamas national records. He starts teaching fourth grade in Charlotte on Aug.25.

STILL IN THE HUNT: Shawn Crawford (Indian Land High and Clemson) will run the finals of the 200 Wednesday, assuming he makes it there. Travis Padgett (Boilings Springs Crest and Clemson) will run in the 4x100 relay later this week. Jamaica will be favored in both those events, paced by "World's Fastest Man" Usain Bolt in each.

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