The 2008 Summer Olympics take place in Beijing, China and runs from August 8th through the 24th. There will be 302 events in 28 sports, and NBC will broadcast the games in high-definition. Many sports such as swimming and gymnastics will be shown live here in Oklahoma.
As you watch the 2008 Summer Olympics, keep your eye on a few athletes with Oklahoma ties. Here are full profiles of the Oklahoma athletes participating in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
Brett Anderson (Baseball)
Born: February 1, 1988
Hometown: Stillwater, OK
Residence: Midland, TX
Bio: Anderson was a standout pitcher for Stillwater High School before being drafted in the 2nd round by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006. The left-hander was sent to Oakland as part the Dan Haren trade in 2007 and has performed well for Oakland's AA farm team in Midland, TX., going 4-0 with a 2.14 ERA.
2008 Olympics: Anderson started the August 16th victory against Canada, a 5-4 U.S. victory. He pitched 5.2 innings and gave up 9 hits and 3 earned runs, getting a no decision. The men's team later won the bronze medal with Anderson on the hill. He pitched 7 innings and gave up 4 runs while striking out six.Daniel Cormier (Wrestling)
Born: March 20, 1979
Hometown: Lafayette, LA
Residence: Stillwater, OK
Bio: Daniel Cormier was a 3-time state high school wrestling champion in Lafayette, LA. After becoming a 2-time junior college national champion at Colby Community College, he transferred to Oklahoma State University where he was an NCAA runner-up before graduating. Cormier was selected to the 2004 Athens games where he finished 4th. He is also a 5-time U.S. Nationals champion.
2008 Olympics: Cormier was hospitalized on Wednesday, August 20th and forced to withdraw from the Olympics less than a day before he was to compete. Reportedly, he experienced serious kidney issues due to dehydration but has responded well to treatment.Sarah Haskins (Triathlon)
Born: March 13, 1981
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Residence: Colorado Springs, CO
Bio: According to NBC, Sarah Haskins was born in Oklahoma, though other sites list St. Louis as her birth place. Either way, she grew up in Missouri before attending the University of Tulsa on a track and field scholarship, graduating in 2003. In addition, she lived in Bristow prior to her Olympic training in Colorado Springs. A longtime competitive swimmer and runner, Haskins took part in her first triathlon in 2003, finishing 2nd, and she took 2nd at the USA Nationals in both 2006 and 2007.
2008 Olympics: Finished 11th with a final time of 2:01:22.57, 2:54.91 behind gold medalist Emma Snowsill of Australia. Haskins did extremely well in swimming (3rd) and was one of the more consistent triathletes.Jonathan Horton (Men's Gymnastics)
Born: December 31, 1985
Hometown: Houston, TX
Residence: Norman, OK
Bio: Jonathan Horton is well-known in the metro as a University of Oklahoma standout gymnast. He won the junior national title in 2003 and back-to-back American Cup titles in 2006 and 2007 as well as a school-record 5 NCAA titles with the Sooners. A Norman resident since 2004, Horton is considered one of the best all-around gymnasts at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
2008 Olympics: Qualified for high bar finals with score of 15.575 (5th overall) and all-around finals with score of 91.650 (7th overall). U.S. men's team wins Bronzo medal with 275.850 points behind China (286.125) and Japan (278.875). Horton placed 9th in all-around finals and later won the silver medal in high bar with a score of 16.175, just .025 points short of gold medalist Kai Zou of China.Steve Mocco (Wrestling)
Born: December 28, 1981
Hometown: North Bergen, NJ
Residence: Stillwater, OK
Bio: It's no surprise that Oklahoma State University is well-represented in Olympic wrestling. Steve Mocco began his college wrestling career at the University of Iowa where he won an NCAA title as a sophomore. After failing to qualify for the 2004 Athens games, he transferred to Oklahoma State University and won yet another NCAA individual title. Mocco will make his Olympic debut in Beijing.
2008 Olympics: Mocco won his first two matches in pre-medal rounds, besting Rajiv Tomer of India and Lei Liang of China. He then fell to Russia's Bakhtiyar Akhmedov in the Quarterfinals and failed to advance to a medal match in the 120kg class after losing to Fardin Masoumi Valadi of Iran.Chad Vaughn (Weightlifting)
Born: May 11, 1980
Hometown: Konawa, OK
Residence: Rowlett, TX
Bio: Chad Vaughn was born in Konawa, Oklahoma, a small town southeast of the metro. Though he currently trains in Texas, he has a number of family members in Oklahoma. Vaughn is an experienced Olympic athlete, having competed in the 2004 Athens games where he finished 19th. He is a 5-time national champion and set the national record with a lift of 190kg in the clean & jerk at the 2007 Arnold Classic.
2008 Olympics: Chad Vaughn failed to earn an Olympic medal after finishing at the bottom of his 77kg weight class. Vaughn lifted the 15th-best weight in snatch but couldn't lift his clean and jerk weight in three attempts.Natalie Woolfolk (Weightlifting)
Born: December 7, 1983
Hometown: Annapolis, MD
Residence: Colorado Springs, CO
Bio: Born in Buffalo, Oklahoma, Natalie Woolfolk is the daughter of a U.S. Navel Academy strength coach. She relocated to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and set an American record in 2006. Winner of 3 consecutive national championships from 2005-2007, Woolfolk was named USA Weightlifting's Lifter of the Year award in 2006 and 2007. She is making her first trip to the Olympic games.
2008 Olympics: Woolfolk finished 12th in the final 63kg standings with a combined score of 211. North Korea's Pak Hyon Suk took home the gold medal at 241, and silver went to Irina Nekrassova of Kazakhstan, close behind at 240.
