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Idaho Vandals have Olympic ties
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July 27, 2012 |
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Kirsten
Armstrong |
University of Idaho alumna Kristin Armstrong
will seek her second Olympic medal at the summer
games opening tonight in London. The Boise
cyclist – who’s making a comeback after the
birth of a son and a broken collar bone
sustained in a recent fall during qualifying
competitions – snared Olympic gold in 2008.
Among the other Vandal Olympians, past and
present, are:
Jessica Draskau-Petersson ’02,
2012 Olympian (marathon) for Denmark. Former
world-class triathlete. Vandal track and field
and cross-country 2000-01.
Former Vandal track and field athletes
Trond Knaplund ’86, ‘89 of Norway,
Chris Stokes ‘87 from Jamaica
and former Vandal strength coach Greg
“Trinidad” Sun ’90, ’93, ‘98 variously
competed (bobsled teams) in several Winter
Olympic games in the ‘90s.
Dan O'Brien ’03, 1996 Olympic
gold medalist (decathlon), three-time world
champion.
Joachim Olsen ’02, 2004 Olympic
bronze medalist (shot put) for Denmark. NCAA
champion.
Chris Stokes ’87, former Vandal
track and field athlete competed as the brakeman
for the Jamaican bobsleigh team in both the 1988
and 1992 Winter Olympic games. Chris Stokes has
been president of the Jamaica Bobsleigh
Federation since 1995. He wrote Cool Runnings
and Beyond – The Story of the Jamaica Bobsleigh
Team about his team's Olympic competition.
Angela Whyte ’03, 2004 Olympic
finalist (100m Hurdles) and 2008 representative
for Canada. Four-time NCAA All-American. 2012
alternate for Canada in 100m hurdles. Whyte
lives in Moscow and is currently a volunteer
track and field assistant coach for the Vandals.
Vandals with ties to the 2012 Summer Olympics
include:
James Gerson, Vandal alum and
president of the swimwear division for The
Warnaco Group Inc. Gerson oversees all aspects
of the Speedo and Calvin Klein Swimwear
businesses based out of the company’s
headquarters in Los Angeles. Gerson grew up in
Spokane.
Bruce Stratton, Vandal alum and
president of the USA Swimming board of
directors. Stratton lives in Boise and owns an
accounting firm.
Craig McGowan, assistant
professor of biological sciences at the
University of Idaho. In 2012, McGowan led a
group of researchers comparing the leg stiffness
of Paralympic sprinters who had both unilateral
and bilateral leg amputations compared to the
leg stiffness of non-amputee sprinters. The
study led the South African Olympic Committee to
permit amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius to
compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics. |
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