35 Trojans To Compete In 2004 Summer Olympics
August 09, 2004 | USC Athletics
Aug. 9, 2004
LOS ANGELES - USC will be represented by 35 past, present and future athletes at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.
USC has sent more athletes to the Olympic Games than any other university. From 1904 to 2000, there have been 340 athletes who attended USC before, during or after their Olympic appearance. They have collected 217 medals (104 gold, 59 silver and 54 bronze), including at least one gold medal in every summer Olympics since 1912.
Leading candidates to keep USC's gold-medal streak alive in 2004 include Americans Lisa Leslie (basketball), Tina Thompson (basketball) and Kaitlin Sandeno (swimming) and the Dominican Republic's Felix Sanchez (track and field).
Of USC's 2004 Olympians, 16 will compete in swimming, 8 in track and field, 3 each in basketball and volleyball, 2 each in diving and water polo, and 1 in tennis. In all, Trojans will compete for the United States and 12 other countries (Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, France, Hungary, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Russia, Saudia Arabia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, Zimbabwe). Eighteen of USC's 2004 Olympians have participated in previous Games.
Five coaches with USC ties will serve on Olympic staffs in 2004. USC swimming head coach Mark Schubert will be the head coach for the U.S. women's swimming team, and he'll be assisted by former USC swimmer Teri McKeever. Current USC diving coach Hongping Li and former coach Jeff Shaffer will be assistants with the U.S. mens' and women's squads. Ex-USC water polo player Danny Leyson will be an assistant with the U.S. men's water polo team.
The following is a list of USC's 2004 Summer Olympians (as of Aug. 9):
| USC OLYMPIANS | ||
| 2004 ATHENS OLYMPICS | ||
| Athletes (Country) | Sport/Event | USC Affiliation |
| Ahmad Al-Kudmani (Saudia Arabia) | Swimming (100m Breaststroke) | Lettered 1999-2002 |
| *Elias Ayuso (Puerto Rico) | Basketball | Lettered 1997-99 |
| Lindsay Benko (U.S.) | Swimming (200m Freestyle) | Lettered 1996-99 |
| (800m Freestyle Relay) | ||
| *Brook Billings (U.S.) | Volleyball | Lettered 1999-2002 |
| Wayne Black (Zimbabwe) | Tennis (Doubles) | Lettered 1992-94 |
| Viktor Bodrogi (Hungary) | Swimming (200m Backstroke) | Current USC soph |
| Rodrigo Castro (Brazil) | Swimming (200m Freestyle) | Lettered 2001-02 |
| (400m Freestyle Relay) | ||
| (800m Freestyle Relay) | ||
| *Justin Dumais (U.S.) | Diving (3m Synchronized) | Lettered 1998-99 |
| Torri Edwards (U.S.) | Track (100m) | Lettered 1996-99 |
| (200m) | ||
| (400m Relay) | ||
| *Allyson Felix (U.S.) | Track (200m) | Current USC soph |
| *Gabe Gardner (U.S.) | Volleyball | Lettered 1996-97 |
| Blythe Hartley (Canada) | Diving (3m Springboard) | Current USC senior |
| (3m Synchronized) | ||
| (10m Synchronized) | ||
| Josh Ilika (Mexico) | Swimming (200 Butterly) | Lettered 1995-98 |
| *Rhi Jeffrey (U.S.) | Swimming (800m Freestyle Relay) | Incoming freshman |
| *Larsen Jensen (U.S.) | Swimming (400m Freestyle) | Lettered 2004 |
| (1500m Freestyle) | ||
| *Julien Kapek (France) | Track (Triple Jump) | Lettered 2002-03 |
| *Kalyn Keller (U.S.) | Swimming (400m Freestyle) | Lettered 2004 |
| (800m Freestyle) | ||
| Klete Keller (U.S.) | Swimming (200m Freestyle) | Lettered 2001-02 |
| (400m Freestyle) | ||
| (800m Freestyle Relay) | ||
| Tamas Kerekjarto (Hungary) | Swimming (200 IM) | Lettered 2000-02 |
| Sofia Konoukh (Russia) | Water Polo | Lettered 2001-03 |
| Lenny Krayzelburg (U.S.) | Swimming (100m Backstroke) | Lettered 1996-98 |
| Lisa Leslie (U.S.) | Basketball | Lettered 1991-94 |
| Natasha Mayers (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) | Track (100m) | Lettered 2002-03 |
| (200m) | ||
| Ous Mellouli (Tunisia) | Swimming (400m IM) | Current USC junior |
| (1500m Freestyle) | ||
| *Gergerly Meszaros (Hungary) | Swimming (800m Freestyle Relay) | Current USC soph |
| *Aniko Pelle (Hungary) | Water Polo | Lettered 1999-2002 |
| *Carol Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) | Track (100m) | Incoming freshman |
| (200m) | ||
| Felix Sanchez (Dominican Republic) | Track (400m Hurdles) | Lettered 1999-2000 |
| Kaitlin Sandeno (U.S.) | Swimming (400m IM) | Lettered 2002-04 |
| (400m Freestyle) | ||
| (200m Butterfly) | ||
| (800m Freestyle Relay) | ||
| *Donald Suxho (U.S.) | Volleyball | Lettered 1997-2000 |
| *Tina Thompson (U.S.) | Basketball | Lettered 1994-97 |
| *Julianna Tudja (Hungary) | Track (Hammer) | Lettered 2001-2003 |
| Erik Vendt (U.S.) | Swimming (400m IM) | Lettered 2000-03 |
| (1500m Freestyle) | ||
| *Angela Williams (U.S.) | Track (400m Relay) | |
| *Gabe Woodward (U.S.) | Swimming (400m Freestyle Relay) | Lettered 1998-2001 |
| *First-time Olympians | ||
| Coaches (Country) | Sport | USC Affiliation |
| Mark Schubert (U.S.) | Swimming (Women's)-head | USC m/w head coach |
| Teri McKeever (U.S.) | Swimming (Women's)-assistant | Ex-USC athlete, asst. |
| Danny Leyson (U.S.) | Water Polo (Men's)-assistant | Ex-USC athlete, asst. |
| Hongping Li (U.S.) | Diving (Men's/Women's)-assistant | USC m/w head coach |
| Jeff Shaffer (U.S.) | Diving (Men's/Women's)-assistant | Ex-USC m/w head coach |
| Total: 35 athletes, 7 coaches | ||
NOTE: USC has sent more athletes to the Olympic Games than any other university. From 1904 to 2000, there have been 340 athletes who attended USC before, during or after their Olympic appearance. They have collected 217 medals (104 gold, 59 silver and 54 bronze), including at least one gold medal in every summer Olympics since 1912.
