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Thursday, September 14, 2000
It's been 12 years since a Hawaii athlete has brought home an Olympic medal. Hawaii’s contingent
The other Aussie Olympics
looks for first medal
in a dozen yearsBy Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinIt's been 32 years since a local Olympian won a gold medal. But when the 29th modern Games end next month, island athletes could have a gold and at least as many medals as the state won in 1968.
Eleven Hawaii residents or former residents are scattered among seven U.S. teams. There are also two coaches and two officials from the islands. Five University of Hawaii swimmers are representing their respective countries while three ex-Wahine and one former UH-Hilo player are also members of their national teams. Another Hawaii resident - Kelsey Nakanelua - is on the American Samoa track team.
Of Hawaii's U.S. medal hopefuls, Waipahu boxer Brian Viloria may have the best shot at the first gold medal since Pokey Watson Richardson placed first in the 200-meter backstroke at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Viloria is favored to win gold in the light flyweight division.
The U.S. has only one gold in that division. But when Paul Gonzales won it in 1984, it was in a walkover. Gonzales' opponent, Italian Salvatore Todisco, showed up with his hand in a cast.
The 5-foot-3 Viloria is expected to eventually meet Cuba's 1996 gold medalist at flyweight, Maikro Romero, in the final. He beat Romero for the world amateur title last year after the Cuban dropped down in weight.
The women's water polo team, with assistant coach Chris Duplanty and former University of Hawaii player Maureen O'Toole (oldest player on team at 39), is coming off a strong pre-Olympic run and is favored for at least a bronze medal.
The men's water polo team includes two-meter player Sean Kern of Honolulu.
Even though they are not listed among the favorites at Penrith Whitewater Stadium, the U.S. K-2 team of Kailua's Kathy Colin and Seattle's Tamara Jenkins could surprise on the 500-meter course.
Colin won six gold medals in a World Cup event in Brazil in April and Jenkins has rich international experience as a member of the 1997 and 1998 World Championships teams.
Former Hawaii resident Peter Newton, whose K-4 1,000-meter boat won the gold at the 1999 Pan Am Games, might be out of the medal picture. Newton, entering his third Olympics, lost key crew mate Angel Perez, a Cuban refugee declared ineligible for Sydney yesterday.
Kailua's John Myrdal is not listed as a medal favorite for the laser competition that begins Sept. 22. But he was third in a 1998 international competition in Sydney Harbor and Myrdal has had plenty of experience with choppy conditions.
In beach volleyball the team of Honolulu's Kevin Wong and Californian Rob Heidger was seventh in Olympic ranking points last month but No. 4 in the world in June.
There are two former University of Hawaii players on the women's volleyball team: setter Robyn Ah Mow (all-time Wahine assist leader) and middle blocker Heather Bown (last season's national leader in blocks).
But the U.S. team has been plagued with inconsistency, finishing sixth in late August in the FIVB Grand Prix. They open play on Saturday against medal favorite China.
The men's volleyball team is led by Honolulu's Mike Lambert, the leader in kills on the American team that failed to medal in Atlanta.
Amy Tong is a longshot to medal at 172 pounds. But Tong took third-place at the 1999 Pan American Judo Union Championships. That means she'll not be easy pickings for any opponent.
Punahou has the most alumni in the Olympics of any Hawaii high school with five. Buffanblu grads are Lambert, Colin, Wong, Kern and Duplanty.
Representing South Africa are UH swimmers Renate duPlessis, Nick Folker and Simon Thirsk. UH's Luis Rojas is swimming for Venezuela and Matthew Kwock for Hong Kong. Former Wahine water polo player Marie-Luc Arpin is competing for Canada, as is ex-Hawaii-Hilo softball player Kristy Oadamura.
Former Wahine basketball player Tania Brunton is competing for New Zealand while ex-UH softball pitcher Brooke Wilkins is throwing for Australia.
Honolulu's Dae Sung Lee is the U.S. taekwondo coach.
Dr. Allen Richardson, married to Hawaii's last gold medalist, is in charge of the drug testing for all aquatic sports. Dr. Doug Hiller from Kailua-Kona is on the jury of appeals for triathlon.
Hawaii is represented by 21 athletes, two coaches and two officials. Sixteen are current or former residents, and the remaining are currently attending or have attended the University of Hawaii. An asterisk (*) denotes a current or former UH student. Listed are the hometown, age, position (when applicable), country they are representing and when their competition will be held. Hawaii's connection
NAME HOMETOWN AGE SPORT POSITION/EVENT COUNTRY DATES OF COMPETITION * Robyn Ah Mow Honolulu, HI 28 Volleyball Setter United States Sept. 16-30 * Heather Bown Yorba Linda, CA 21 Volleyball Middle United States Sept. 16-30 * Tania Brunton Wellington, NZ 26 Basketball Forward New Zealand Sept. 16-30 Kathy Colin Kailua 26 Kayak K-2 sprint United States Sept. 27-Oct. 1 Chris Duplanty Honolulu 34 Water polo Women’s coach United States Sept. 16-23 * Renate duPlessis Stellenbosch, S. Africa 20 Swimming Medley relay South Africa Sept. 16-22 * Nick Folker Balgowan, S. Africa 23 Swimming Relays South Africa Sept. 15-22 * Marie-Luc Arpin Montreal 20 Water polo Field Canada Sept. 16-23 Sean Kern Honolulu 22 Water polo 2-meter man United States Sept. 23-Oct. 1 Matthew Kwok Laguna Hills, CA 21 Swimming 100m breast Hong Kong Sept. 15-16 Mike Lambert Kaneohe 26 Volleyball Middle United States Sept. 17-Oct. 1 * John Myrdal Kailua 29 Sailing Laser class United States Sept. 21-30 Kelsey Nakanelua Kaneohe 33 Track & field Sprints American Samoa Sept. 22 Peter Newton Issaquah, WA 30 Kayak K-4 sprint United States Sept. 26-30 * Maureen O’Toole Piedmont, CA 39 Water polo Driver United States Sept. 16-23 * Luis Rojas Caracas, Venezuela 21 Swimming 400 free relay United States Sept. 15 * Simon Thirsk Cape Town, S. Africa 23 Swimming Medley relay South Africa Sept. 22-23 Amy Tong Honolulu 22 Judo Lt. heavyweight United States Sept. 20 Brian Viloria Waipahu 19 Boxing Lt. flyweight United States Sept. 16-29 * Brooke Wilkins Brisbane, Australia 26 Softball Pitcher Australia Sept. 16-25 Kevin Wong Honolulu 28 Volleyball Beach doubles United States Sept. 17-26 Kristy Odamura Richmond, B.C 24 Softball Infield Canada Sept. 16-25
Sydney 2000 Olympics