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Summarized by Kent Larsen
Gardner Wins Gold! Maybe Mormon Hero of Olympics
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- If there is a Mormon hero for the 2000 Sydney Olympics,
it will probably be Wrestler Rulon Gardner. Gardner surprised everyone by
beating long-time world champion Alexander Kareline in what Reuters calls
"the biggest shock in the history of Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling."
Kareline was the undisputed world champion in the 130kg class and was known
as the "Toughest Man in the World."
Gardner's victory came during the busiest day for Mormon athletes. Six
different Mormon athletes competed yesterday, four of them in different
track and field events. The Mormon athletes competing in those four events
split their results, with two of them, Amy Palmer in the Hammer Throw and
Jason Pryah in the 1500m, qualifying to go on to the finals in their events.
The US women's basketball team also played yesterday, winning its
quarterfinal match against Slovakia, and advancing to the semifinals, in
which they will play Korea. Mormon athlete Natalie Williams scored 6 points
during nearly 19 minutes on the court.
Please also note that we have been informed of another possible Mormon
athlete, Caryn Paewai of New Zealand's field hockey team. We would
appreciate any confirmation of Paewai or either Jensen or Wallace.
Results - September 27th
| Athlete | Sport | Country |
| Palmer, Amy | Track &Field | USA |
| Hammer Throw | qualified | 62.78m, 7.82m short of best time |
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| Gardner, Rulon | Wrestling | USA |
| v. Alexander Karelin | W 1-0 | Gold Medal! |
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| Chan, Maggie | Track &Field | Hong Kong |
| 10,000m | Failed to Qualify | 35:21.20, 20th place, 2:47.13 behind leader |
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| Pratt Hinton, Robison | Track &Field | Mexico |
| Pole Vault | Failed to Qualify | no mark, failed to clear 5.25m in 3 attempts |
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| Pryah, Jason | Track &Field | USA |
| 1500m | Qualified for Final | 3:40.04, 3rd place in head, but 2.44 behind leader |
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| Williams, Natalie | Basketball | USA |
| USA v. Slovakia | W 58-43 | 2/5 from floor, 2/4 from line, 6 pts |
| To date: | | 13/24, 36 pts, 27 rebounds, 7 assists |
Here is a schedule of the Mormon athletes competing Thursday, September 28,
along with the times they will compete (Sydney time).
| Athlete | Sport | Country |
| Tagaloa, Charlene | Volleyball | USA |
| USA v. Russia | Semifinals | 8:30 pm |
We are trying to verify claims that the following athletes are Mormon in
some way:
| Athlete | Sport | Country |
| Marcus Jensen | Baseball | USA |
| Ji Wallace | Gymnastics-Trampoline | Australia |
The following is the list of Mormon athletes competing in the games
that we know about. If you know of an additional athlete, please let
us know!
| Athlete | Sport | Country |
| Andam, Kenneth | Track &Field | Ghana |
| Baird, Marsha | Track &Field | Trinidad |
| Berg, Laura | Softball | USA |
| Chan, Maggie | Track &Field | Hong Kong |
| Dantzscher, Jamie | Gymnastics | USA |
| Deacon, Jared | Track &Field | Great Britain |
| Gardner, Rulon | Wrestling | USA |
| Johnson, Courtney | Water Polo | USA |
| Millar, Ryan | Volleyball | USA |
| Myles-Mills, Leonard | Track &Field | Ghana |
| Palmer, Amy | Track &Field | USA |
| Pratt, Robby | Track &Field | Mexico |
| Pryah, Jason | Track &Field | USA |
| Savickas, Arunas | Swimming | Lithuania |
| Tagaloa, Charlene | Volleyball | USA |
| Williams, Natalie | Basketball | USA |
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