BYU and the Olympic Games

 

The modern Olympics Games, featuring both summer and winter competition, are among the best sporting events in the world. The Olympics are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating two years apart. With more than 200 nations participating, the Olympics feature thousands of athletes from around the world in a variety of competitions. 

Since 1912, when Alma Richards won a gold medal and set a new world high-jump record in the Stockholm, BYU Athletics has been well represented in the Olympics. Below is a list of former Cougars who have participated in the Olympic Games.
 

Baseball
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Cory Snyder Third baseman 2nd Los Angeles Summer, 1984 USA 1982-84
Men's Basketball
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Kresimir Cosic Center Silver Mexico City Summer, 1968 Yugoslavia 1969-73
Ken James Team 9th Munich Summer, 1972 Australia 1964-67
Kresimir Cosic Center Bronze  Munich Summer, 1972 Yugoslavia 1969-73
Kresimir Cosic Center Silver  Montreal Summer, 1976 Yugoslavia 1969-73
Phil Tollestrup Forward 4th Montreal Summer, 1976 Canada 1969-72
Kresimir Cosic Center Gold  Moscow Summer, 1980 Yugoslavia 1969-73
Kresimir Cosic Coach Silver  Seoul Summer, 1988 Yugoslavia 1969-73
Men's Beach Volleyball
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Casey Patterson Hitter 19th Rio de Janeiro Summer, 2017 USA 1999, 2002-05
Women's Bobsled
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Shauna Rohbock 2-woman bobsled Silver  Torino Winter, 2006 USA 1995-99
Men's Diving
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Keith Russell Platform, springboard 4th, 6th Mexico City Summer, 1968 USA 1971-72
Ricardo Velarde Platform 19th Montreal Summer, 1976 Mexico 1977-81
Justin Wilcock 3-meter springboard 32nd Athens Summer, 2004 USA 1997-98, 2000-02
Women's Diving
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Rachelle Kunkel Springboard 9th Athens Summer, 2004 USA 1996-2000
Men's Gymnastics
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Makoto Sakamoto^ All-Around, rings 20th, 18th Tokyo Summer, 1964 USA 1987-2000
Makoto Sakamoto^ Parallel bars 17th Munich Summer, 1972 USA 1987-2000
George Greenfield^ All-Around 83rd Munich Summer, 1972 USA 1970s
Wayne Young Team, Individual all-around 7th, 12th Montreal Summer, 1976 USA 1970-75
Makoto Sakamoto^ Coach Gold  Los Angeles Summer, 1984 USA 1987-2000
Guard Young Floor, rings, vault, team Silver  Athens Summer, 2004 USA 1996-2000
Women's Gymnastics
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Debbie Hill ^ Alternate N/A Munich Summer, 1972 USA 1979-87 (coached)
Men's Luge
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Werner Hoeger Singles 40th Salt Lake City Winter, 2002 Venezuela 1970-74
Werner Hoeger Singles 32nd Torino Winter, 2006 Venezuela 1970-74
Christopher Hoeger Singles 31st Salt Lake City Winter, 2002 Venezuela 2003, 06-10
Women's Luge
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Michelle Despain * Singles 24th Torino Winter, 2006 Argentina 2006
Kate Hansen * Singles 10th Sochi Winter, 2014 USA 2012-17
Women's Rowing
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Megan Dirkmaat * Women's eight Silver  Athens, 2004 USA 1997
Women's Rugby
Jordan Matyas | Sevens | Tokyo, 2020/2021 | USA | 2013-16
Women's Skiing
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Jean Saubert * Giant slalom, slalom, downhill Silver, Bronze, 26th Innsbruck Winter, 1964 USA –
Women's Speed Skating
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Barbara Day Lockhart * # 1,500m 18th Squaw Valley Winter, 1960 USA 1991-2016
Barbara Day Lockhart * # 1,000m, 3,000m 10th, 23rd  Innsbruck Winter, 1964 USA 1991-2016
Men's Swimming
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Mike Burton^ 400m free, 1,500m free Gold, Gold Mexico City Summer, 1968 USA 1974-75
Mike Burton^ 1,500m free, 4x200 free relay Gold, Gold Munich Summer, 1972 USA 1974-75
Piero Ferracuti 100m breast, 200m breast Heats, Heats Munich Summer, 1972 El Salvador 1975-79
Oon Jin Gee 4x100m medley, 4x100m free, 100m free 16th, 17th, 42nd Los Angeles Summer, 1984 Singapore 1984-87
Ron Menezes 4x100 freestyle relay, 100m freestyle 10th, 28th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 Brazil 1981-85
David Lim 4x100m medley, 4x100m freerelay, 100m back 16th, 17th, 29th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 Singapore 1984-87
David Lim 100m back, 4x100m free, 4x100m medley, 200m back, 200m medley, 200m freestyle 14th, 15th, 17th, 31st, 34th, 43rd Seoul Summer, 1988 Singapore 1984-87
Ng Yue Meng 4x100 medley relay, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke 17th, 41st, 47th Seoul Summer, 1988 Singapore 1988-90, 1992-94
Oon Jin Gee 100m free, 100m medley, 100m free, 50m free, 200m free 15th, 17th, 43rd, 45th, 46th Seoul Summer, 1988 Singapore 1984-87
Kai Kristian Johansson 200m butterfly 36th Barcelona Summer, 1992 Finland 1988-93
Tomislav Karlo 4x100 medley relay, 100m backstroke 16th, 34th Atlanta Summer, 1996 Croatia 1989-93
Arunas Savickas 200m backstroke 35th Atlanta Summer, 1996 Lithuania 1997-2001
Lee Yu (Gary) Tan 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke 45th, 37th Sydney Summer, 2000 Singapore 1999-2004
Arunas Savickas 200m backstroke, 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle 22nd, 22nd, 16th Sydney Summer, 2000 Lithuania 1997-2001
Jung Jun (Mark) Chay 200m freestyle, 100m freestyle 23rd, 47th Sydney Summer, 2000 Singapore 2003-07
Lee Yu (Gary) Tan 200m individual medley 43rd Athens Summer, 2004 Singapore 1999-2004
Diogo de Oliveira Yabe 200m medley 26th Athens Summer, 2004 Brazil 2001-05
Jung Jun (Mark) Chay 200m freestyle, 100m freestyle 51st, 56th Athens Summer, 2004 Singapore 2003-07
Andrew Rutherfurd 100m freestyle 41st London Summer, 2012 Bolivia 2007-08, 2010-14
Rafael Alfaro 400m medley 35th London Summer, 2012 El Salvador 2010-15
Women's Swimming
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Lelei Fonoimoana-Moore 4x100 medley relay, 100m butterfly Silver, 7th Montreal Summer, 1976 USA 1976-79
Hiroko Nagasaki 200m breast, 100m breast, 4x100m medley 4th, 6th, 7th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 Japan 1991-92
Hiroko Nagasaki 200m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke 23rd, 34th Seoul Summer, 1988 Japan 1991-92
Hana Majaj 200m butterfly 36th Sydney Summer, 2000 Jordan 2000-03
Men's Tennis
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Jim Osborne ^ Mixed doubles Silver  Mexico City Summer, 1968 USA 1981, 1988-2004
Men's Track & Field
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Alma Richards High Jump (set world record) Gold  Stockholm Summer, 1912 USA 1912-13
Dale Schofield 400m Hurdles 7th Berlin Summer, 1936 USA 1930s
Clarence Robison 5,000m Heats London Summer, 1948 USA 1940-43
Jaakko Tuominen 400m Hurdles Heats Tokyo Summer, 1964 Finland 1968?
Jay Silvester * # Discus 4th Tokyo Summer, 1964 USA 1969-99
Jaakko Tuominen 400m Hurdles Heats Mexico City Summer, 1968 Finland 1968?
Jay Silvester * # Discus 5th Mexico City Summer, 1968 USA 1969-99
Kenneth Lundmark High Jump 22nd Mexico City Summer, 1968 Sweden 1970
Pekka Vasala 1,500m Heats Mexico City Summer, 1968 Finland 1970
Pertti Pousi Long Jump, Triple Jump 18th, 18th Mexico City Summer, 1968 Finland 1967-70
Altti Alarotu Pole Vault 14th Mexico City Summer, 1968 Finland 1967-70
Pekka Vasala 1,500m Gold  Munich Summer, 1972 Finland 1970
Jay Silvester * # Discus Silver  Munich Summer, 1972 USA 1969-99
Lasse Viren 5,000m, 10,000m  Gold, Gold Munich Summer, 1972 Finland 1969-70
Ralph Mann 400m Hurdles Silver  Munich Summer, 1972 USA 1969-71
Usaia Sotutu 5k, 10k, 3k steeplechase Heats, Heats, Heats Munich Summer, 1972 Fiji 1972, 1975-77?
Zdravko Pecar Discus 18th Munich Summer, 1972 Yugoslavia 1974?
Anders Arrhenius Shot put   Montreal Summer, 1976 Sweden 1975
Henry Marsh Steeplechase 10th Montreal Summer, 1976 USA 1988-93
Jay Silvester * # Discus 8th Montreal Summer, 1976 USA 1969-99
Richard George Javelin 18th Montreal Summer, 1976 USA 1971-73, 75-77
Lasse Viren 5k, 10k, marathon Gold, Gold, 5th Montreal Summer, 1976 Finland 1969-70
Raimo Pihl Decathlon 4th Montreal Summer, 1976 Sweden 1973-76
Kenth Gardenkrans Discus 12th Moscow Summer, 1980 Sweden 1978?
Lasse Viren 10,000m, marathon 5th, DNF Moscow Summer, 1980 Finland 1969-70
Paul Cummings 10,000m Heats Los Angeles Summer, 1984 USA 1971-75
Soren Tallhem Shot Put 7th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 Sweden 1984-85
Stefan Fernholm Discus 8th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 Sweden –
Doug Padilla 5,000m 7th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 USA 1978-80
Henry Marsh Steeplechase 4th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 USA 1988-93
Ed Eyestone Marathon 29th Seoul Summer, 1988 USA 1982-85
Doug Padilla 5,000m Heats Seoul Summer, 1988 USA 1978-80
Henry Marsh Steeplechase 6th Seoul Summer, 1988 USA 1988-93
Soren Tallhem Shot Put 12th Barcelona Summer, 1992 Sweden 1984-85
Ed Eyestone Marathon 13th Barcelona Summer, 1992 USA 1982-85
Frank Fredericks 100m, 200m Silver, Silver Barcelona Summer, 1992 Namibia 1988-91
Oluyemi Kayode 4x100, 200m Silver, 7th Barcelona Summer, 1992 Nigeria 1999-2004
Jason Pyrah 1500m Heats Atlanta Summer, 1996 USA 1987, 1991-94
Frank Fredericks 100m, 200m Silver, Silver Atlanta Summer, 1996 Namibia 1988-91
Jason Pyrah 1500m 10th Sydney Summer, 2000 USA 1987, 1991-94
Kenneth Andam 4x100, 100m Heats Sydney Summer, 2000 Ghana 1999-2004
Leonard Myles-Mills 100m, 4x100 Heats, Heats Sydney Summer, 2000 Ghana 1996-99
Frank Fredericks 100m, 200m Heats, 4th Athens Summer, 2004 Namibia 1988-91
Leonard Myles-Mills 100m, 4x100 Heats, Heats Athens Summer, 2004 Ghana 1996-99
Josh McAdams Steeplechase 9th Beijing Summer, 2008 USA 2003-05
Niklas Arrhenius Discus 32nd  Beijing Summer, 2008 Sweden 2003-08
Jared Ward Marathon 6th Rio de Janeiro Summer, 2016 USA 2010-2014
Tatenda Tsumba 200m Heats Rio de Janeiro Summer, 2016 Zimbabwe 2015-17
Women's Track & Field
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Maria Betioli Zanandrea High Jump 25th Montreal Summer, 1976 Brazil 1979-82
Hui Chen Lee Javelin 21st Los Angeles Summer, 1984 Taiwan 1987-91
Carey May Marathon 28th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 Ireland 1982-85
Janeth Caizalitin Alder 3000m 11th Barcelona Summer, 1992 Equador 1993-96
Anu Kaljurand Heptathlon 17th Barcelona Summer, 1992 Estonia 1990-93
Christy Opara Thompson 4x100 relay, 100m Silver, 11th Barcelona Summer, 1992 Nigeria 1989
Julie Jenkins 800m Heats Barcelona Summer, 1992 USA 1984-87
Satu Karoliina "Kartsi" Lundahl Shot Put  19th Atlanta Summer, 1996 Finland 1991?
Anna Mosdell Discus – Atlanta Summer, 1996 Canada 1989-93
Christy Opara Thompson 4x100 relay 5th Atlanta Summer, 1996 Nigeria 1989
Amy Christiansen Palmer Hammer 8th Sydney Summer, 2000 USA 1994-98
Maggie Chan Roper 5,000m, 10,000m Heats Sydney Summer, 2000 Hong Kong 1996-99
Marsha Mark-Baird Heptathlon 22nd Sydney Summer, 2000 Trinidad & Tobago 1996-98
Marsha Mark-Baird Heptathlon 25th Athens Summer, 2004 Trinidad & Tobago 1996-98
Tiffany Lott-Hogan Heptathlon 20th Athens Summer, 2004 USA 1994-98
Kirsten Bolm 100m hurdles Heats Athens Summer, 2004 Germany 1998-2000
Jillian Camarena-Williams * Shot Put 12th Beijing Summer, 2008 USA –
Jillian Camarena-Williams * Shot Put 15th London Summer, 2012 USA –
Men's Volleyball
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
John Alstrom Hitter 7th Mexico City Summer, 1968 USA 1961-63
Jon Stanley Hitter 7th Mexico City Summer, 1968 USA 1963-65
Troy Tanner ^ Outside Hitter Gold  Seoul Summer, 1988 USA 1997-02
Carl McGown ^ Coach – 1984, 88, 92, 96, 00, 04, 08 USA 1990-02
Ryan Millar Outside Hitter 11th Sydney Summer, 2000 USA 1996-99
Hidde Van Beest Middle blocker 8th Sydney Summer, 2000 Australia 1998
Hidde Van Beest Middle blocker 11th Athens Summer, 2004 Australia 1998
Ryan Millar Outside Hitter 4th Athens Summer, 2004 USA 1996-99
Joel Silva Libero 9th Beijing Summer, 2008 Venezuela 2006-10
Rich Lambourne Outside Hitter Gold  Beijing Summer, 2008 USA 1994, 1997-99
Ryan Millar Outside Hitter Gold  Beijing Summer, 2008 USA 1996-99
Hugh McCutcheon Head Coach Gold  Beijing Summer, 2008 USA 1991-93
Rich Lambourne Outside Hitter 5th London Summer, 2012 USA 1994, 1997-99
Taylor Sander Outside Hitter Bronze  Rio de Janeiro Summer, 2016 USA 2011-14
Taylor Sander Outside Hitter   Tokyo Summer, 2021 (2020) USA 2011-14
Women's Volleyball
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Charlene Johnson Setter 4th Sydney Summer, 2000 USA 1991-94
Hugh McCutcheon Head Coach Silver  London Summer, 2012 USA 1991-93
Women's Weightlifting
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Satu Karoliina "Kartsi" Lundahl   DNF Sydney Summer, 2000 Finland 1991
Wrestling
Athlete Name Event(s) / Position Finish Location, Year Country  BYU Years
Mark Schultz ^ Middleweight Freestyle Gold  Los Angeles Summer, 1984 USA 1994-99
Mark Fuller Flyweight Greco-Roman 9th Los Angeles Summer, 1984 USA 1999
Mark Fuller Flyweight Greco-Roman 9th Seoul Summer, 1988 USA 1999
Mark Schultz ^ Middleweight Freestyle 6th Seoul Summer, 1988 USA 1994-99
Mark Fuller Flyweight Greco-Roman 12th Barcelona Summer, 1992 USA 1999

* Attended BYU, but was not an intercollegiate athlete at BYU

^ Coached at BYU, but was not an intercollegiate athlete at BYU

# Professor at BYU, but was not an intercollegiate athlete at BYU