| Arizona's Olympic Hopefuls |
| Several Arizonans Will Compete at the Olympics in 2000 |
Athletes, spectators and sponsors from around the world will soon be descending on Sydney, Australia. The games will be held between September 15 and October 1, 2000. The official mascots of this year's Olympics are Millie, Syd and Ollie - an echidna, a platypus and a kookaburra. An echidna is a spiny anteater, the kookaburra is a large bird and the platypus has the "bill of a duck, the body of the otter, the tail of a beaver, large webbed forefeet and a double coat of fur". These creatures are just part of the unique experience that is the 2000 Olympics.
We have a number of gifted athletes who have been training hard for that shot at the Olympic experience. Here are some short profiles of the people who will be representing Arizona at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. We wish them all medal-wining performances!
Jason Kidd
Sport: Men's Basketball
Born: March 23, 1973
Residence: Scottsdale, AZ
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 212
There is no doubt that Jason Kidd is a basketball superstar. He is no stranger to success, and has been achieving records for basketball teams since his high school days. Jason has been playing in the NBA for six seasons and in 1999 was named all-NBA first team as well as being named to the NBA all star team three times. Offense or defense, Jason Kidd is one of the top players in the NBA and the local fans are proud that he plays for the Phoenix Suns. He will be joining some other talented basketball players, like Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan to compete for Olympic Gold.
Abdihakim Abdirahman
Sport: Track and Field
Born: December 2, 1978
Residence: Tucson, AZ
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 130
Originally from Somalia, Abdi became a U.S. citizen earlier this year. He attended Pima Community College in Tucson and went on the the University of Arizona. He won his first two collegiate races there and was named Pac-10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1998. His event is the 10,000 meters, and we'll be cheering him on when he competes in Sydney.
WINNER
- GOLD MEDAL!!
Men's Pole Vault
Nick Hysong
Sport: Track and Field
Born: December 9, 1971
Residence: Phoenix, AZ
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180
Nick got his place on this Olympic team by placing second in the pole vault at the the U.S. Olympic Trials. His first pole vault attempt, winning him the spot on the team, was 18 feet, 9-1/2 inches. His personal record is 19 feet, 2-1/4 inches. Nick has a great chance to bring back a medal from these Olympics and we wish him the best.
Melissa Mueller
Sport: Track and Field
Born: November 16, 1972
Residence: Phoenix, AZ
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 150
Melissa "Mel" Mueller is one of the top 3 pole vaulters in the United
States, and she is hoping to be one of the top three Olympians at Sydney this
year. This will be the first time that women's pole vault will be included as an
Olympic event. Mel qualified for these games with a pole vault of 14 feet 2-1/2
inches. She works for Sky Athletics in Phoenix.
Adam Saathoff
Sport: Shooting
Born: May 25, 1975
Residence: Hereford, AZ
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175
Adam will be competing in his second Olympics this year and has been on the National Team for 8 years. He has won medals in various World and National Championships over the years. Adam's event is the running target. When he is not fighting fires as a reservist in Sierra Vista, he is training at Colorado Springs. He learned to shoot when he was only four years old.
Melvin Douglas
Sport: Wrestling
Born: August 21, 1963
Residence: Mesa, AZ
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 213
The Olympics are not new to this freestyle wrestling athlete, who came in seventh at the 1996 games. He has many competitions under his belt and was the 2000 Olympic Qualifier champion in Mexico. Melvin comes from a wrestling family; both his brothers were state school wrestling champs. He is married with three children. As an eight-time U.S. National Champion, he would like to add Gold to his collection of awards.
WINNER - SILVER MEDAL!!
Evan
Whitfield
Sport: Soccer
Born: June 23, 1977
Residence: Glendale, AZ
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 155
Evan was selected by the Chicago Fire in the first round (11th overall) of the 1999 MLS College Draft but has yet to play a game with them, signing with a Belgian team instead. He was team co-captain at Duke in his junior and senior years and led the Blue Devils to a surprising 18-4 record and a spot in the NCAA Tournament in 1998.
Next > Swimming
©2000 Judy Hedding, licensed to About.com
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