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Going
for the gold
By
Dan Heuchert
Eight
current or former University of Virginia athletes will be competing
in the 2000 Summer Olympics,
which begin Sept. 15 in Sydney, Australia.
A
rundown:
•
Dawn Staley may be the Hoos' best bet for an Olympic gold
medal. The former Cavalier women's basketball star is a member
of the U.S. women's basketball team, the odds-on favorite to win
it all in Australia. The U.S. team plays round-robin games on
Sept. 16 (South Korea), Sept. 18 (Cuba), Sept. 20 (Russia) and
Sept. 24 (Poland). The quarterfinals are set for Sept. 27, with
the semifinals Sept. 29 and the bronze- and gold-medal games on
Sept. 30.
•
Three former Cavaliers are on the roster of the U.S. men's soccer
team: Jeff Agoos, Chris Albright and Ben Olsen.
U.S. men's teams generally struggle to advance from round-robin
play into the medal draw. They play Sept. 13 (Czech Republic),
Sept. 16 (Cameroon) and Sept. 19 (Kuwait). The quarterfinals are
Sept. 23, semifinals on Sept. 26, the bronze-medal game Sept.
29 and the gold-medal game Sept. 30.
•
Ed Moses -- still a U.Va. student, though he has given
up his athletic eligibility -- leads a small flotilla of U.Va.
swimmers into Sydney, although he is the only one representing
the U.S. He is among the favorites in the 100-meter breaststroke
(qualifying heats and semifinals Sept. 16, final Sept. 17) and
could earn another medal in the 400-meter medley relay (qualifying
heats Sept. 22, final Sept. 23).
•
1999 graduate Shamek Pietucha will represent Canada in
the men's 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly events. The 200 qualifying
heats and semifinals will be held Sept. 18, with the final Sept.
19. The 100 heats and semis are Sept. 21, with the final Sept.
22.
•
Mirjana Bosevska will be the busiest Cavalier swimmer in
Sydney, representing Macedonia. She will compete in the 400 individual
medley (heats and final Sept. 16), 400 freestyle (heats and final
Sept. 17), and the 800 freestyle (heats Sept. 21, final Sept.
22).
•
Last but not least, Guy Timsomruay will swim for Thailand
in the 200 individual medley (heats and semis Sept. 20, final
Sept. 21).
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