Monday, July 22, 1996
Students, alumni compete under many different flagsBy Rob Kariakin
Summer Bruin Contributor
Now that the pomp and circumstance of Friday's opening ceremony are behind us, the real event can start. That's right, the quest for international bragging rights is now in full swing.
But wait, you say, I thought the purpose of the games was to promote a spirit of brotherhood and goodwill among nations? Sure, and the Dream Team was put together to assuage the United States' guilt over keeping all of those wonderful players to itself.
Get real. What truly drives these games is the desire of each and every nation to deliver a supreme ass-whoopin' to all the others. And whichever nation can do so the most is the winner.
Ladies and gentlemen, the medal count has begun.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the United States is the overwhelming favorite to finish on top (Thank you Mikhail Gorbachev!). What might be surprising is that one of the greatest challengers for the crown may not be a country at all. It just might be UCLA.
Through these first 76 years of the school's existence, 208 UCLA students and alumni have taken part in the Summer Games. Competing for six different nations, these Bruins have amassed an impressive record, earning 67 gold, 31 silver and 28 bronze medals between them.
What's more, the medal winning pace has actually accelerated in recent years. Forty-four of those gold medals were won in just the last three Olympics.
It should go without saying that UCLA was the most successful college at Barcelona, Seoul and Los Angeles. What does need saying is that the Bruins have actually fared better than many large countries over that same span. In 1992 UCLA athletes finished with eight gold medals which would have ranked them ninth overall among the competing nations in the gold medal count.
In 1988 Bruin Olympians would have finished fourth, their 17 golds putting them five ahead of No. 5 South Korea. Four years earlier they did even better here in Los Angeles. Without the boycotting Soviet Bloc nations, UCLA athletes won 19 golds good enough for a third place finish ahead of such nations as West Germany and China.
This trend shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. This year 45 Bruins have made their way to Atlanta with their hearts set on gold.
For the first time, UCLA students and alumni will represent Australia, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Antigua/Barbuda, Jordan, Ghana and Sweden (the previous countries were Canada, China, Egypt, Greece, West Germany, and of course the United States).
Some Bruins to watch:
Mike Powell. The world-record holder in the long jump. At the 1991 World Championships he broke a 23-year-old record many had thought unbeatable and robbed Carl Lewis of an almost certain victory. Here's to saying he shuts the old man up again.
Lisa Fernandez. Perhaps the greatest softball player ever, she leads a U.S. team that has gone 110-1 in international competition since 1986. The team also includes fellow Bruin alumni Dot Richardson and Sheila Cornel as well as incoming freshman Christa Williams.
Despite only losing one match in the last 10 years, the team was picked by Sports Illustrated (SI) to finish third behind Canada and Australia. What is SI smoking?
Ato Boldon. So he's not running for the United States. Who cares? The Trinidadian is already one of the favorites in the 100-meter and one of the top 200-meter performers in the world, and he's only 22. Don't look back, Michael Johnson, someone may be gaining on you.
Reggie Miller. Okay, so you probably already knew this one, but did you notice who started the first game against Argentina?
Troy Glaus. As the starting third baseman, the junior figures to provide some pop in the middle of the line-up for a U.S. team ticketed for a medal. Last season he batted .352 and finished second in the Pacific 10 with 16 home runs and has committed only one error in his last 19 games for U.S. baseball. Classmate Jim Parque is not only the sole left-handed pitcher on the team, he is also the youngest at 20. His 3.26 ERA on the squad's pre-Olympic tour is second on the team, and he has 26 strikeouts in only 19 1/3 innings of work.
John Godina. He will be the first American to compete in both the shot put and the discus since Bud Houser in 1924. Houser won gold in both events; Godina may well do the same. He finished second in the discus at the United States Olympic Trials and is the gold medal favorite in the shot put.
Karch Kiraly. The "Michael Jordan of volleyball." He already has two gold medals as a member of the U.S. indoor volleyball team in 1984 and 1988. Now he and AVP Tour teammate and fellow Bruin Kent Steffes go for the inaugural crown in beach volleyball. Should they unexpectedly fail, chances are a Bruin would still bring home the gold; four of the six members of the men's team are UCLA alumni, as are two of the women. Call it a hunch, but this one's a lock.
Will all of these present and former Bruins strike gold in Atlanta? Who knows? But there are plenty of others at the Games to pick up the slack should they fail.
What, did you think it was just a coincidence that the first two rings in the Olympic symbol are blue and gold? Hardly.
Daily Bruin File Photo
Lisa Fernandez, who is shown pitching for UCLA, hopes to medal as a third baseman on the U.S. softball team