MARVIN ANDERSON ORN ARNARSON BIBIANA CANDELAS RODRIGO CASTRO RICHARD CHARLESWORTH NATASHA DANVERS-SMITH NICOLE DAVIS TORRI EDWARDS GABE GARDNER BLYTHE HARTLEY ZOE HOSKINS KATINKA HOSSZU HALEY ISHIMATSU ASIA KACZOR TAMAS KEREKJARTO SOFIA KONOUKH J.W. KRUMPHOLZ BRIGITA LANGERHOLC CLÉMENT LEFERT LYNETTE LIM OUS MELLOULI EVA ORBAN ANIKO PELLE ANKUR POSERIA ZOLTAN POVAZSAY ARIEL RITTENHOUSE AMY RODRIGUEZ CAROL RODRIGUEZ FÉLIX SÁNCHEZ USC AT THE 2008 OLYMPICS • 10 GOLD 10 SILVER 2 BRONZE INGA STASIULIONYTE ILSE VAN DER MEIJDEN GABRIELA VAREKOVA MARK WARKENTIN KATARZYNA WILK ANGELA WILLIAMS JESSE WILLIAMS After coming close in its bid for the 2000 Olympics, could finally celebrate when the International Olympic Committee picked Beijing to host the 2008 Summer Games. But some questioned the choice, pointing to China’s history of human rights abuses and repressive policies in Tibet. Demonstrations by Tibetan independence activists later blemished the Olympic torch relay, turning it into an image-damaging obstacle course in some European cities. In , where thousands of protesters crowded the torch’s route, police officers had to whisk the torch onto a bus to protect it. The Games themselves, the first to be produced and broadcast entirely in high definition, mostly stayed clear of such controversy. They opened with a spectacular ceremony featuring some 14,000 artists and dancers. Worldwide, about 4.7 billion viewers watched athletes set 43 world records. Athletes from 86 countries — more than ever — won at least one medal. Chinese athletes took the most gold medals (51), while the U.S. captured the most total medals (110). Among the big stories: American swimmer Michael

USC’s Amy Rodriguez ’12 Phelps collected eight gold medals, breaking Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record of seven golds celebrates with the flag in one Olympics; and Jamaica’s Usain Bolt won the 100-meter and the 200-meter sprints and after a U.S. overtime victory over for gold. took gold in the 4x100-meter relay, setting world records in all three events. USC’s presence in these Games was unprecedented: A record 49 athletes with Trojan ties competed. They won 22 medals, including 10 golds. Five Trojan student-athletes (Amy Rodriguez, Klete Keller, Rebecca Soni, Kami Craig and J.W. Krumpholz) were such successes at these Olympics that they were honored with the inaugural U.S. Olympic Achievement Award in 2011.

188 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN2 CALIFORNIA 008 MARVIN ANDERSON ORN ARNARSON BIBIANA CANDELAS PATTY CARDENAS RODRIGO CASTRO RICHARD CHARLESWORTH KAMI CRAIG NATASHA DANVERS-SMITH NICOLE DAVIS TORRI EDWARDS ALLYSON FELIX GABE GARDNER BLYTHE HARTLEY BRITTANY HAYES ZOE HOSKINS KATINKA HOSSZU HALEY ISHIMATSU LARSEN JENSEN ASIA KACZOR KLETE KELLER TAMAS KEREKJARTO SOFIA KONOUKH J.W. KRUMPHOLZ BRIGITA LANGERHOLC CLÉMENT LEFERT LISA LESLIE LYNETTE LIM OUS MELLOULI EVA ORBAN ANIKO PELLE ANKUR POSERIA ZOLTAN POVAZSAY ARIEL RITTENHOUSE AMY RODRIGUEZ CAROL RODRIGUEZ FÉLIX SÁNCHEZ USC AT THE 2008 OLYMPICS • 10 GOLD 10 SILVER 2 BRONZE REBECCA SONI INGA STASIULIONYTE TINA THOMPSON ILSE VAN DER MEIJDEN MORIAH VAN NORMAN GABRIELA VAREKOVA ERIK VENDT MARK WARKENTIN LAUREN WENGER KATARZYNA WILK ANGELA WILLIAMS JESSE WILLIAMS

2008 AN OLYMPIC HERITAGE 189

LISA LESLIE

When Lisa Leslie passed the 6-foot-tall mark in Having grown up rooting for USC women’s In 2008, Leslie made her fourth and final the seventh grade, everyone asked her the same stars and Cynthia Olympic appearance for Team USA, guiding question. Cooper-Dyke, Leslie, who received more than the team to yet another gold medal in Beijing. 100 college recruiting letters, decided to stay Leslie is one of only seven players to compete Do you play basketball? home and attend USC. In her first game as a in three Olympics for USA Basketball, and one Trojan, she scored 30 points and grabbed 20 of only two players with four gold medals. She In fact, Leslie was asked the question so often that rebounds. Similar outstanding performances led finished her Olympic career with a then-record she contemplated quitting the sport just so she to her being named NCAA Freshman of the 488 points scored. could answer no. Fortunately, she was talked out of Year. That summer, she helped Team USA win that by a junior high school teammate. gold at the World University Games and began to develop a love for the international game. When Leslie got serious about playing basketball, the Inglewood, Calif., resident Although she was left off the 1992 Olympic came to realize that just being tall was Team, Leslie once again used her disappointment not enough of an advantage. She began as motivation. She earned All-America honors working daily on improving her game, and her last three years with the Trojans, was USA by the time she reached high school she Basketball’s Player of the Year in 1993 as a junior was good enough to make Morningside and won the Naismith Award as a senior. After High School’s varsity team as a freshman. graduation, she played for Team USA in the 1994 , where she shot 70 percent from During her sophomore year, the team advanced the field and averaged 19 points per game. to the state semifinals, where Leslie took and missed the potential game-winning shot. She Recognized as the best young player in the world, brooded over the defeat the entire summer and, Leslie made her Olympic debut at the 1996 motivated by the disappointment, worked harder Atlanta Games, where she scored 35 points in a than ever to improve her game. semifinal win over Japan and 29 points in the gold medal game victory over Brazil. By her junior year, Leslie had reached her full height of 6-foot-5 and was the dominant player After starring in the WNBA for four years, in the nation. She led Morningside to the state Leslie led Team USA to the 2000 Olympics, title in 1989 and led the U.S. in scoring and averaging 15.8 points per game during the team’s rebounding at the World Junior Championships march to repeat gold. In Athens, Leslie again that summer. As a senior, she scored 101 points led the U.S. team in scoring en route to a third in the first half of one game — four points shy of straight Olympic gold medal. During her third the national scoring record — and led her team trip to the Games, she became the USA’s all- to another state title. time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker.

AN OLYMPIC HERITAGE 191 An All-American basketball player at USC, native Tina Thompson ’97 made history as the first player drafted into the WNBA after its inception in 1997. Her college track record includes selection as conference Freshman of the Year in 1994 and second- team All-American in 1997. She was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2012. A forward for the for most of her career, Thompson helped the team win four consecutive titles starting in 1997. Her success at USC and for the Comets put her on the radar for the Olympics, where she won gold in 2004 in Athens and in 2008 in Beijing. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships in Brazil. A nine-time All-Star Team member and still the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, she retired from professional basketball in 2013.

192 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TINA THOMPSON

In Tina’s Words:

As I reflect on my journey to become an Olympic sincere and the goal was very clear. It was a little We went on to win the gold. Afterward, I was athlete, I am reminded of many highs and many intimidating and exciting at the same time. But extremely relieved and excited at the same time. lows. It was not an easy journey, to say the least. I felt like I had something to prove, and I was I had buried all these emotions that I assumed I The joy I felt when I received an invitation to the totally wearing a chip on my shoulder. had dealt with, but boy, was I wrong. I literally Olympic Trials after my freshman year at USC had to find my way to the bench and sit down. was beyond words. I soon would learn that the Being that I have always been fascinated with I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I invitation was a mere formality, and was extended the Olympics, my intentions were to attend thought I was going to pass out. The tears just to 60 or more other young ladies, a large number every sporting event possible in my free time wouldn’t stop coming. It’s still very surreal. of them repeat invitees. in Athens. Being an Olympic rookie, I was unaware that there was very little free time for Beijing was a separate experience. The faces Even with that newly found information, I was us. With practice and preparation for pool play, of our team had changed quite a bit. We were not deterred, nor discouraged — I was motivated. along with supporting our male counterparts, it a relatively young team. There were only two That motivation landed me a spot on the World was nearly impossible to attend any events and returning starters, me and fellow USC alumna University Games team in 1995. From there, it still get an adequate amount of rest. Lisa Leslie. Yet we still were very focused on took me almost 10 years to make an Olympic winning another gold, and we did. team. Those 10 years were very long, so much so Being a SoCal kid, I am a big fan of beach that I even took a break from USA Basketball volleyball, and I did get the chance to see one Having the experience of 2004 under my belt after not making the 2000 Olympic team. of Misty May and Kerri Walsh’s medal-round allowed me to relax a little more this time around. matches. I went against my better judgment and I was also now a mother of a 3-year-old little boy. In 2004, because of the success of my WNBA attended the event even though we played the So the opportunity to share this experience with team, our coach, , was selected as following day. I wrestled with myself about it, him, as well as my mother, was beyond words. the national team coach. At this , I didn’t but I made the right decision. Watching Misty To watch Dyllan bounce around a room that have much interest in pursuing an Olympic and Kerri was incredible! included the likes of , , experience anymore. Surprisingly, I did get LeBron James, Chris Paul and is another invitation from USA Basketball. I was Athens itself was a little overwhelming at times. something I will never forget. hesitant simply because my experience had not The country’s architectural elements alone were a been a favorable one up until this point. lot to digest. Simply breathtaking. We did get an Although my Beijing experience was a lot more opportunity to do a little controlled sightseeing memorable, I don’t believe I can compare the After much deliberation, I decided to give it and take pictures for memory’s sake, but once that two, and I wouldn’t trade one for another. another try, and I have to say that it was one of was out of the way, it was back to business. the best decisions I have made in my life. This Being an Olympian is one of my most treasured time around, I did in fact make the team. The intensity of the Games cannot be compared career achievements. I will be forever thankful to any other game I have ever played. Even in and grateful for the opportunity, and I feel With a rich tradition in USA Basketball, the bar games where we beat teams by 40 or 50 points, blessed to be part of such an exclusive fraternity. was set very high. Anything other the level of focus, the intense nature in which we than gold for us was failure. Our focus was so played and the physicality were so draining. Go, USA! Fight On!

AN OLYMPIC HERITAGE 193 J.W. KRUMPHOLZ ’11 After leading USC to the 2008 NCAA title, J.W. Krumpholz helped the U.S men’s team to silver in Beijing. He received the Peter J. Cutino Award as the nation’s top men’s collegiate water polo player in 2009 and 2010.

HOSTED REMOTELY REBECCA SONI ’09 ATHLETES FROM THREE SPORTS COMPETED A six-time NCAA champion at USC, Rebecca Soni won a gold medal OUTSIDE OF BEIJING. THE SOCCER MATCHES WERE PLAYED for the U.S. in the 200-meter breaststroke (in world-record time) as well IN TIANJIN, SHANGHAI, QINHUANGDAO AND SHENYANG. as silver medals in the 100-meter breaststroke and the 4x100-meter HONG KONG HOSTED THE EQUESTRIAN EVENTS, medley relay. QINGDAO THE SAILING.

NATASHA DANVERS-SMITH ’02 After skipping the 2004 Olympics while on maternity leave, USC Hall of Famer Natasha Danvers-Smith returned to the Games in Beijing and won a NATIONAL FIRSTS bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles for Great Britain. TAJIKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN, MAURITIUS AND TOGO ALL HAD MEDAL-WINNING ATHLETES FOR THE FIRST TIME. ATHLETES FROM MONGOLIA AND PANAMA CAPTURED THE FIRST GOLD MEDALS IN THE HISTORY OF THEIR NATIONS.

OUS MELLOULI ’07 Tunisia’s Ous Mellouli won the 1500-meter freestyle in Beijing, his third Olympics. Nicknamed “The Mediterranean’s Shark,” Mellouli won bronze in the same event at 2012, where he also earned gold in the 10-kilometer marathon swim.

194 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOUR TIMES EIGHT THE OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE GAMES IN BEIJING BEGAN AT 8 P.M. LOCAL TIME ON AUGUST 8, 2008. 8 IN CHINESE CULTURE THE NUMBER 8 IS CONSIDERED LUCKY. TROJAN VICTORIES AND HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2008 BEIJING GAMES ALLYSON FELIX ’08 She made her Olympics debut in usc olympians: 49 gold: 10 silver: 10 bronze: 2 Atlanta in 2004, but Allyson Felix earned her first career gold medal in 2008 in the 4x400-meter relay in Beijing. She also finished second in the 200 meters. Felix earned her NICOLE DAVIS ’06 degree from USC, but did not run competitively as a Trojan. After leading USC to back- to-back NCAA volleyball titles in 2002 and 2003, Nicole Davis helped the to a silver medal in Beijing.

ALONG THE GREAT WALL IN THE CYCLING ROAD RACE, BEIJING SHOWED OFF TWO SYMBOLS OF ITS 3000-YEAR-OLD HISTORY: THE ROUTE FOLLOWED THE GREAT WALL AND PASSED IN FRONT OF THE FORBIDDEN CITY.

GABE GARDNER In his second Olympics, Trojan Gabe ILSE VAN DER MEIJDEN Gardner was instrumental in helping USC’s Ilse van der Meijden was the top goalie for the Netherlands’ the U.S. men’s volleyball team win a women’s water polo team in 2008. She made nine saves in a 9-8 victory gold medal. He played for USC for over the United States in the gold-medal game. two seasons in the 1990s.

AN OLYMPIC HERITAGE 195