More than Two Dozen Arizona Athletes to Take Part in Olympics

A group of 30 Arizona athletes, coaches and others affiliated with the UA will attend the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

During the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, a group of 30 Arizona athletes, coaches and staff will try for the gold.

By Richard Paige, Arizona Athletics
July 18, 2008

University of Arizona athletes and former student-athletes will be well-represented during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing next month.

A group of 30 athletes, coaches and support staff who have ties to the UA will participate in the games of the XXIXth Olympiad, which begins with the Opening Ceremonies on Aug. 8.

Of those, 23 are former and current UA athletes. Four are Arizona Athletics coaches support staff; three others are athletes who were trained by coaches at the UA.

Of the 23 UA athletes, 13 have prior experience competing in the Olympics and seven of them have earned medals.

The competitions will be held Aug. 9 through Aug. 24 in Beijing, which is 16 hours ahead of Tucson time.

The UA athletes are:

Abdi Abdirahman, a UA alumnus from Tucson, Ariz., will compete in men's track and field. Abdirahman has competed in two other Olympic games and is the reigning U.S. champion in the 10,000 meter, which he won in 2001 and 2005.
Jean Basson, a UA student set to graduate in 2010, is from Johannesburg, South Africa, and will participate in men's swimming. Basson helped the Wildcats win a national championship this year and is a seven-time All-American.
Amanda Beard, a UA alumna from Irvine, Calif., will compete in women's swimming. Beard is the most decorated UA Olympian in any sport, having won seven medals, two of which were gold.
Simon Burnett, who earned a UA degree in 2007, from Tetsworth, England, will participate in men's swimming. Burnett was the 2006 Pac-10 Conference Men's Swimmer of the Year and earned 22 All-American honors while a student.

Jason Donald, a UA alumnus from Clovis, Calif., will play baseball. Donald was a member of Arizona's 2004 College World Series team and had a record 84 hits that year. He also played in the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game in Yankee Stadium.
Claire Febvay, who earned degrees from the UA in 2004 and 2006, is from Lyon, France, and is competing in women's diving. She is a two-time Olympian who represented her country in 2000 and 2004 and is ranked in the top 20 in the world.
Lyndon Ferns, a UA alumnus from Pietersburg, South Africa, will compete in men's swimming. Ferns is a four-time NCAA individual or relay champion who earned 24 All-American honors as a student.
Jennie Finch, a UA alumna from La Mirada, Calif., will play softball. Finch has earned two World Championships and has long been a member of the U.S. national team.
Kim Glass, a UA alumna from Lancaster, Pa., will play women's volleyball. Glass is a three-time All-American and four-time all Pac-10 performer who has played professionally in Puerto Rico.
Joel Greenshields, a current UA student who is set to graduate in 2010, is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and will compete in men's swimming. Greenshields was a key member during Arizona's 2008 NCAA championships.
Alicia Hollowell, who graduated from the UA in 2007, is from Suisun City, Calif., and is serving as an alternate in softball. Hollowell is also a member of the national team and played in the World Championship in 2006.

Dominic Johnson, a 1998 UA graduate who is from Tucson, will compete in men's track and field. Johnson competed in Olympic games in 1996 and 2000 and is the UA record holder in the indoor and outdoor pole vaults.

Lovieanne Jung, a UA alumna from Fountain Valley, Calif., will compete in softball. Jung has been at second base for the national team since 2002 and is a two-time World Champion. She is also a Pan American Games gold metalist.
Caitlin Lowe, a UA alumna from Tustin, Calif., will compete in softball. Lowe became the second player in Arizona history to earn four consecutive first-team All-American honors.

Ryk Neethling, a 2001 UA graduate from Bloemfontein, South Africa, will compete in men's swimming. Neethling is a three-time Olympian and earned a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay in 2004.
Nicolas Nilo, who is set to graduate from the UA next year, is from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and will compete in men's swimming. Nilo helped Arizona to its first national championship this year and was part of winning relay teams in the 400-yard freestyle and NCAA-record-setting 800-yard freestyle.

Lacey Nymeyer, a current UA student, is from Tucson and will compete in women's swimming. Nymeyer has won the most individual or relay NCAA championships of any Arizona swimmer.
Angelique Rodriguez, who earned degrees from the UA in1999 and again in 2002, is from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and is taking part in women's diving. Rodriguez dove for Puerto Rico in 2000 and 2004 as a platform diver.
Roland Schoeman, who earned his UA degree in 2003, is from Pretoria, South Africa, and will compete in men's swimming. Schoeman has earned three Olympic medals and seven world and two U.S. Open records since 1999.
Albert Subirats, a current UA student, is from Valencia, Venezuela, and will compete in men's swimming. Subirats earned eight national championships and 17 All-American accolades.
Jake Tapp, a current UA student, is from Langley, British Columbia, Canada, and will compete in men's swimming. Tapp will represent Canada in the Olympics.
Darian Townsend, a UA alumnus, is from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and is competing in men's swimming. Townsend was the youngest member of the gold medal-winning South African 400-meter freestyle relay for the 2008 NCAA championship.
Juan Veloz, who earned his degree in 2005 and is from Mexico City, will compete in men's swimming. Veloz is a veteran Olympic swimmer who is making his Olympic third appearance. He will represent Mexico and holds the UA record for the 200-yard butterfly.

The four coaches are: Frank Busch, an assistant coach for the U.S. swim team; Mike Candrea, head coach for the U.S. softball team; James Li, manager of the U.S. men’s track and field team and Rick DeMont, a coach for the South African swim team.

At the UA, Busch is the head coach for swimming, Candrea is the head coach for women's softball, Li is the assistant coach for track and field and DeMont is the associate coach for swimming.

Three others who are not UA graduates, but who have University ties, also will be going to Beijing. They are Jill Camarena, who will compete in women's shot put and was trained by UA throws coach Craig Carter; Matt Grevers in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, who was trained by Busch; and Bernard Lagat , who will complete in the men’s 1,500 and 5,000 meters and was trained by Li.