Food & Drink

Seattle’s Olympic Dream Team

Four Olympic hopefuls in three categories hail from our own backyard.

By Joe Livarchik May 21, 2012

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This article originally appeared in the June 2012 issue of Seattle magazine.

As the world turns its attention toward the Olympic Games in London next month, Seattleites will be cheering on locally based athletes. But at press time, a few of these determined fighters had a few more hurdles to clear—here’s hoping they make it all the way to the big time.

[ BOXING ] Quoted as wanting to win every fight at the U.S. Olympic women’s boxing trials in Spokane, Seattle native Queen Underwood did exactly that in mid-February. At press time, she was fighting to finish in the top eight in her lightweight class at the world championships in China (5/9–5/20) in order to earn a spot on the first-ever U.S. women’s Olympic boxing team. After trading (literal) jabs with Anderson Cooper on his show and chatting with the ladies on The View, Underwood has the whole nation rooting for her.

[ SWIMMING ] Auburn’s Ariana Kukors won a bronze medal in the 200-meter individual medley (IM) at the 2011 FINA World Championships, and in March she won the women’s 200-meter IM U.S.A. swimming sectionals in Orlando. She hopes to carry that success forward in this month’s Olympic trials (6/25–7/2 in Omaha). ¶ It can’t be easy competing in the same field as Michael Phelps. But Bremerton native and 2008 men’s swim team Olympian Nathan Adrian looks to give the world record holder a swim for his money at the Olympic trials this month (6/25–7/2 in Omaha). After winning gold and bronze medals as part of the U.S.A. freestyle relay team at the 2011 World Championships, Adrian made news at the Indianapolis Grand Prix in March by beating Phelps in the 100-meter freestyle—and splitting his own swim trunks in the process.

[ CYCLING ] Road cyclist Tyler Farrar of Wenatchee had his share of ups and downs last year, posting a stage win at the Tour de France, but also enduring the death of training partner and best friend Wouter Weylandt in a crash during the Giro d’Italia. At press time, Farrar was gearing up for trials for the 2012 Olympic team held on May 31. This month, he’ll compete in the Tour de France, beginning on June 30.

 

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