Trojans Well Represented In 2000 Summer Olympics
September 07, 2000 | USC Athletics
Sept. 7, 2000
LOS ANGELES - USC will be represented by 32 past, present and future athletes at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. (In addition, 2 incoming freshmen made Olympic teams - for the USA men's swim team and the Danish women's rowing team - but NCAA rules prohibit listing their names until they enroll in school.)
USC has sent more athletes to the Olympic Games than any other university. From 1904 to 1996, there have been 306 athletes who attended USC before, during or after their Olympic appearance. They have collected 199 medals (95 gold, 56 silver and 48 bronze), including at least one gold medal in every summer Olympics since 1912.
Leading candidates to keep USC's gold-medal streak alive in 2000 include Americans Lenny Krazyelburg (swimming), Lisa Leslie (basketball) and Inger Miller (track and field).
Of USC's 2000 Olympians, 11 will compete in track and field, 10 in swimming, 3 in tennis, 2 each in water polo, diving and softball, and 1 each in basketball and sailing. In all, Trojans will compete for the United States and 17 other countries (Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Zimbabwe) in 8 different sports.
Besides Leslie and Miller, who were in the 1996 Games, this will be repeat Olympic appearances for tennis player Wayne Black, diver Natalya Chikina, tracksters Mark Crear, Balazs Kiss and Myra Mayberry, swimmers Mark Kwok and Bela Szabados, and softball players Sheila Cornell Douty and Dot Richardson. All appeared in the 1996 Atlanta Games (Mayberry also was in the 1992 Barcelona Games).
Three men with USC ties will serve as Olympic coaches in 2000. USC swimming head coach Mark Schubert will serve as the head coach for the U.S. men's team, incoming USC women's volleyball head coach Mick Haley is the head coach for the U.S. women's team and former Trojan All-American tennis player Stan Smith will be the head coach for the U.S. men's tennis team.
The following is a list of USC's 2000 Summer Olympians (as of Sept. 7):
USC OLYMPIANS - 2000 SYDNEY OLYMPICS
| Name (Country) | Sport/Event | USC Affiliation |
| Ahmad Al-Kudmani (Saudi Arabia) | Swimming | 2000 junior |
| George Bastl (Switzerland) | Tennis (singles) | Lettered 1997-98 |
| Lindsay Benko (USA) | Swimming(200 free, 200 back, 800 free relay) | Lettered 1996-99 |
| Esi Benyarku (Canada) | Track (200, 400 relay) | Lettered 1996-99 |
| Kim Black (USA) | Swimming (800 free relay) | Lettered 1998 |
| Wayne Black (Zimbabwe) | Tennis (doubles) | Lettered 1992-94 |
| Natalya (Natasha) Chikina (Kazakhstan) | Diving | Lettered 1997-98 |
| Leonardo Costa (Brazil) | Swimming (100 back, 200 back) | 2000 senior |
| Mark Crear (USA) | Track (110 hurdles) | Lettered 1990 and 1992 |
| Natasha Danvers (Great Britain) | Track (400 hurdles, 1600 relay) | Lettered 1997-2000 |
| Sheila (Cornell) Douty(USA) | Softball | USC master's degree |
| Torri Edwards(USA) | Track (400 relay) | Lettered 1996-99 |
| Josh Ilika (Mexico) | Swimming (200 fly) | Lettered 1995-98 |
| Bengt Johansson (Sweden) | Track (hammer) | Lettered 1996-98 |
| Balazs Kiss (Hungary) | Track (hammer) | Lettered 1993-96 |
| Lenny Krayzelburg (USA) | Swimming (100 back, 200 back) | Lettered 1996-98 |
| Mark Kwok (Hong Kong) | Swimming | Lettered 1996-99 |
| Brigita Langerholc (Slovenia) | Track (800, 1600 relay) | 2000 senior |
| Lisa Leslie (USA) | Basketball | Lettered 1991-94 |
| Dorte Lindner (Germany) | Diving | Lettered 1997-99 |
| Robert Lynn (USA) | Water Polo | Lettered 1985-88 |
| Myra Mayberry (Puerto Rico) | Track (100) | Lettered 1986-87 |
| Inger Miller (USA) | Track (100, 200, 400 relay) | Lettered 1991-94 |
| Bernice Orwig (USA) | Water Polo | Lettered 1997-99 |
| Vicha Ratanachote (Thailand) | Swimming (200 free) | 2000 junior |
| Dot Richardson (USA) | Softball | USC Medical School |
| Felix Sanchez (Dominican Republic) | Track (400 hurdles) | Lettered 1999-2000 |
| Edgargo (Tony) Serpas (El Salvador) | Track (100) | Lettered 1997-98 |
| Russ Silvestri (USA) | Sailing (Finn) | Lettered mid-1980s |
| Kyle Spencer (Great Britain) | Tennis (doubles) | Lettered 1995-98 |
| Bela Szabados (Hungary) | Swimming (200 free) | Lettered 1997-99 |
| Erik Vendt (USA) | Swimming (400 IM, 1500 free) | 2000 sophomore |
| Head Coaches(Country) | Sport | USC Affiliation |
| Mick Haley (USA) | Women's Volleyball - Coach | Incoming USC coach |
| Mark Schubert (USA) | Men's Swimming - Coach | Current USC coach |
| Stan Smith (USA) | Men's Tennis - Coach | Lettered 1966-68 |
Note: Since 1904 (not including the 2000 Olympics), 306 Trojans (more than any other university) have competed in the Olympic Games, taking home 95 gold medals (with at least one gold in every summer Olympics since 1912), 56 silver and 48 bronze.
