USC’s Olympic Athletes

Once again, my alma mater – the University of Southern California – tops the list of college student athletes participating in the quadrennial Olympic Games. This year, 40 past, present and future Trojans are representing USC, the United States and other countries at the Games in London, more than any other university in the nation.

Along the way, since 1904, USC athletes have won 262 medals (123 gold, 78 silver and 61 bronze). If USC were a country in itself, medal count would rank us 17^th in the world. If you only counted gold medals, that would rank us 12^th.

This year, 12 Trojans are competing in swimming, another 12 in track and field, 10 in water polo, two each in volleyball and beach volleyball, and one each in soccer and cycling. In addition to the United States, Trojans will be competing for 17 other countries.

On Sunday, USC graduate Clement Lefert won Gold with France’s 400m freestyle relay team. That extends USC’s streak of winning gold medals in every summer Olympics since 1912. Junior Vladimir Morozov won a bronze as Russia placed third in that competition.

Past Gold-winning alumni include:

·         Edgar Ablowich (1932 Los Angeles Olympics, 1600m relay)

·         Bret Barberie (1988 Seoul, baseball)

·         Lee Barnes (1924 Paris, pole vault)

·         Ken Carpenter (1936 Berlin, discus)

·         Rex Cawley (1964 Tokyo, 400m hurdles)

·         Roy Cochran (1948 London), 400m hurdles and 1,600m relay)

·         Clarence "Buster" Crabbe (1932 Los Angeles, 400m freestyle)

·         Bill Craig (1964 Tokyo, 400m medley relay)

·         Janet Evans (1988 Seoul, 400m IM, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle)

·         Bud Houser (1924 Paris, discus and shotput; 1928 Amsterdam, discus)

·         Lisa Leslie (1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, basketball)

·         Pam McGee (1984 Los Angeles, basketball)

·         Cheryl Miller (1984 Los Angeles, basketball)

·         John Naber (1976 Montreal), 100m and 200m backstroke, 800m freestyle and 400m medley relays)

·         Parry O’Brien (1952 Helsink and 1956 Melbourne, shotput)

·         Raphael Osuna (1968 Mexico City, tennis doubles)

·         Bob Seagren (1968 Mexico City, pole vault)

·         Rebecca Soni (2008 Beijing, 200m breaststroke)

·         Randy Williams (1972 Munich, long jump)

Limited space precludes listing the many, many others who have won Gold, Silver and Bronze, as well as those who competed but didn’t win any medals. It should be said that even some of the aforementioned took part in Olympic events in addition to those listed, and won other medals as well.

But one and all, they were, are, and always will be … Trojans. Fight on!