This summer, 12 Buckeye athletes and two Ohio State coaches will continue a proud Ohio State tradition at the Olympics. The 154 Buckeye athletes who have competed in the Games have earned 106 medals (47 gold, 37 silver, 22 bronze).
Ohio State has a particularly strong legacy in the Summer Games: In 1936, Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Olympics on the home turf of Adolph Hitler, who had barred all athletes who weren't members of the "Aryan race" from competing for Germany.
Best of luck to the Buckeyes competing in London!
Athletes:
Katie Bell
Buckeye status: Class of 2011, Social Work
Sport: Diving
Team: U.S.A.
Fun fact: Bell, who claimed the U.S. title on the 10-meter platform in 2009, becomes the ninth Olympian under Ohio State head diving coach Vince Panzano. Follow Bell on Twitter and find out more about her Ohio State career.
Louise Bond-Williams
Buckeye status: Class of 2005, History
Sport: Fencing (sabre)
Team: Great Britain
Fun fact: This is the second Olympics for Bond-Williams; she also competed at Athens in 2004. More on Bond-Williams.
Samantha Cheverton
Buckeye status: Class of 2010, Psychology
Sport: Swimming (200-meter freestyle)
Team: Canada
Fun fact: Cheverton was co-captain of the women's team and an academic star, as a two-time Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar and three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. More on Cheverton.
Roger Espinoza
Buckeye status: Attended Ohio State in 2007
Sport: Soccer
Team: Honduras
Fun fact: Espinoza, who helped lead Ohio State's men's soccer team to the 2007 national championship game, currently plays for Sporting Kansas City. More on Espinoza.
Amanda Furrer
Buckeye status: Current student, Finance
Sport: Rifle
Team: U.S.A.
Fun fact: Furrer has actively chronicled her journey to the Olympics on Twitter. A recent tweet: "I LOVE OHIO STATE! #BuckeyeForLife" Follow @Amanda_Furrer and read her Athletics profile.
Dorde Markovic
Buckeye status: Class of 2010, Finance
Sport: Swimming
Team: Serbia
Fun fact: During his senior season, Markovic was captain of the 2010 Big Ten Championship team, helping the program claim the Big Ten crown. More on Markovic.
Mona Shaito
Buckeye status: Current student, Criminology
Sport: Fencing (foil)
Team: Lebanon
Fun fact: Shaito is one of three siblings who are members of the Ohio State fencing team, competing in foil. More on Shaito.
Zain Shaito
Buckeye status: Current student, International Studies
Sport: Fencing (foil)
Team: Lebanon
Fun fact: Shaito, who won the gold at the World Championships in Catania, Italy, is Ohio State's 2011-12 Male Athlete of the Year. More on Shaito.
Margot Shumway
Buckeye status: Class of 2002, Comparative Studies
Sport: Rowing
Team: U.S.A.
Fun fact: Shumway began her rowing career at Ohio State as a walk-on to the novice team in 2001. More on Shumway.
Caitlin Stewart
Buckeye status: Class of 2010, Occupational Therapy (Master's)
Sport: Synchronized swimming (alternate)
Team: U.S.A.
Fun fact: Stewart was part of a team that won two national championships in synchronized swimming at Ohio State (2009-10); she was an honorary all-American all four years. More on Stewart.
Margarita Tschomakova
Buckeye status: Class of 2012, International Business
Sport: Fencing (sabre)
Team: Bulgaria
Fun fact: Tschomakova is an Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree with a family history of fencing: Her father, Georgi, was a fencer for the Bulgarian National Team and competed at the Olympics and world championships. More on Tschomakova.
Claudia Wurzel
Buckeye status: Class of 2009, International Studies
Sport: Rowing
Team: Italy
Fun fact: At Ohio State, Wurzel gave English-speaking students a chance to practice their Italian, through the Foreign Language Center's Go Local, Go Global program. More on Wurzel.
Coaches:
Vince Panzano
Buckeye status: Ohio State diving coach
Olympic position: Diving coach, Team U.S.A.
Fun fact: Panzano has coached in three previous Olympics, including 1984 (Los Angeles), 1988 (Seoul) and 1996 (Atlanta). More on Panzano.
Lou Rosselli
Buckeye status: Ohio State associate head wrestling coach
Olympic position: Volunteer freestyle wrestling coach, Team U.S.A.
Fun fact: A member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team, Rosselli was a 1997 World Cup Champion and won the silver medal at the 1998 Pan American Championships. More on Rosselli.
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