Princeton will be well represented at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, which officially begin Friday, Aug. 8.
Fourteen Princeton students and alumni are set to compete in Beijing, joining the ranks of 86 students and alumni who have participated in the Olympics (summer and winter) since 1896.
For example, Diana Matheson, who graduated this past June, helped the Canadian national women's soccer team qualify for the 2008 games.
"We're happy for Diana," said Julie Shackford, the Princeton women's soccer coach. "For a Princetonian to be able to play on this level shows the commitment that this university has to excellence in all areas."
The Princeton Alumni Association of Beijing is celebrating the athletes' accomplishments with a reception in the Olympic host city on Sunday, Aug. 10. Details can be found on the Alumni Association website.
Princeton has more athletes competing than any other school in the Ivy League, according to the official 2008 Ivy League Beijing Olympics blog. The website includes historical information about Ivy League athletes at the Olympics and will feature ongoing coverage of current athletes, as well as other students and alumni involved with the games, through Sunday, Aug. 24.
One other alumnus involved in the Olympics this year is David Blatt, a member of Princeton's class of 1981, who is coaching the Russian men's basketball team.
Here is a list of the Princetonians scheduled to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. For more information on the athletes as well as competition times, visit Princeton's athletics website.
Basketball: Konrad Wysocki, a 2004 alumnus. Wysocki is representing Germany, where he plays professional basketball, in its first Olympic basketball tournament since 1992.
Equestrian: Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who attended Princeton through her junior year in 1991. She is representing Germany, where she has emerged as one of the top show jumpers in the world.
Rowing: Six former Tigers are Olympic rowers, including four for the United States, one for Australia and one for Canada. Athletes for the United States are Steve Coppola, a 2006 alumnus, men's 8+; Caroline Lind, a 2006 alumna, women's 8+; Lia Pernell, a 2003 alumna, women's quad; and Paul Teti, a 2001 alumnus, men's 4-. Sam Loch, a 2006 alumnus, is rowing for Australia in the men's 8+, and Andreanne Morin, a 2006 alumna, is rowing for Canada in the women's 8+. In addition, two Princetonians are alternates -- Simon Carcagno, a 1998 alumnus, for the United States and Jamie Faris, a 2004 alumnus, for Canada.
UPDATE: Caroline Lind, a 2006 Princeton graduate, helped the United States win the gold medal in the women's 8+ competition on Sunday, Aug. 17. She becomes the first female Princetonian to win an Olympic gold medal. Classmate Steve Coppola helped the U.S. men's 8+ rally for bronze. For more information, visit Princeton's athletics website.
Shooting: Sandra Fong, an incoming freshman. Fong is competing in the 50-meter smallbore rifle three position. She beat out her sister Abigail, a rising junior at Princeton, for the final U.S. spot in that event.
Soccer: Diana Matheson, a 2008 alumna. Matheson is the all-time assist leader in Princeton women's soccer history, and she helped her native Canada qualify for its first Olympic berth in women's soccer.
Swimming: Doug Lennox, a rising senior, and Bryan Tay, an incoming freshman. Lennox will be competing in the 100-meter butterfly for Puerto Rico, and Tay will swim in the 200-meter freestyle for Singapore. Lennox is writing occasional blog posts for Princeton's athletics website to share his experience in Beijing.
