Olympians from the Dayton area: A history of 60 top athletes

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

The Miami Valley has had at least 59 Olympians and one Paralympian — people who were born here, raised here, went to school here or lived here afterward — who have gone to 30 different Summer and Winter Games. Twenty-nine have made it onto the podium. They’ve won 46 medals, including 22 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze.

Here’s a list of our Olympic competitors through the years:

Matthew Abeysinghe, swimming: Grew up in Beavercreek. Now lives in Sri Lanka. Competing in 100 freestyle for Sri Lanka at 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Lucinda Williams Adams, track and field: Longtime Dayton Public Schools teacher, coach and administrator won gold medal 400-meter relay at 1960 Rome Olympics and ran the 200 at the 1956 Melbourne Games.

Dave Albritton, track and field: Former Dunbar High School coach won silver medal in high jump at 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Zach Apple, swimming: Born in Trenton, Ohio and graduated from Edgewood High. Swam in college at Auburn and Indiana and will swim the 100 freestyle and 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 freestyle relays at the Tokyo Games.

Sion Brinn, swimming: Former Wright State swim coach competed in 100-meter freestyle for Jamaica at 1996 Atlanta Games and in two relays for Great Britain at 2000 Sydney Games.

Gretchen Bleiler, snowboard: Attended Harman Elementary in Oakwood. Won silver medal in women’s halfpipe at 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

Steve Bourdow, sailing: Stebbins graduate won silver in Flying Dutchman class at 1992 Barcelona Games. Also competed at 1988 Seoul Games.

Tonja Buford-Bailey, track and field: Meadowdale High School graduate won bronze in 400-meter hurdles at 1996 Games. Also competed in 1992 and 2000 Games. Served as one of the U.S, Olympic team track coaches at the 2012 Games in London. Was a personal coach for two Olympians who medaled at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janerio and now is the personal coach of two more Olympians – American 200-meter runner Gabby Thomas and Jamaican hurdler Shiann Salmon – who are at the Tokyo Olympics.

Wladimiro Calarese, fencing: Lived in Dayton over 30 years. Three-time Olympian for Italy won bronze medals in team and individual saber competition at 1960 Games, silver in team saber at 1964 Tokyo Olympics and 1968 Mexico City Games.

Mark Coleman, wrestling: Attended Miami University. Was seventh in freestyle wrestling at 1992 Games.

Ed Cook, track and field: Oakwood High track coach (1926-1941) won gold medal with first-place tie in pole vault at 1908 London Olympics, finished fourth in long jump.

Sayon Cooper, track and field: Central State University sprinter represented Liberia at 2000 Games.

Josh Culbreath, track and field: Former Central State University track coach won bronze in 400 hurdles at 1956 Games.

Charles Daniels, swimming: Dayton native who once was considered best swimmer in the world. Won eight Olympic medals, including five gold, at 1904 St. Louis Games, the 1906 Games in Athens and 1908 at the London Games.

Neil de Silva, track and field: Sprinter from Central State University represented Trinidad and Tobago in 1992 and 1996.

Don Donoher, basketball: College basketball Hall of Fame coach from University of Dayton was an assistant coach on the U.S. basketball team that won a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The head coach was Indiana University’s Bobby Knight.

LaVonna Martin Floreal, track and field: Trotwood-Madison High School grad won silver medal in 100-meter hurdles at 1992 Games. Also competed in 1988 and 1996.

Hyleas Fountain, track and field: Former Kettering resident won silver in heptathlon at 2008 Beijing Olympics. Also competed in heptathlon at 2012 London Olympics.

Tom Gompf, diving: Stivers High School grad won bronze in 10-meter platform at 1964 Olympics. Worked nine straight Summer Games after that, serving as everything from an Olympic judge to the U.S. diving coach.

Jim Gordan, track and field. First Miami University Olympian was 400-meter finalist 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

Beverly Grant, track and field: Central State University runner competed in relays for Jamaica at 1996 Games.

Joe Greene, track and field: Stebbins High School grad won bronze medals in the long jump in 1992 and 1996.

Sam Hall, diving: Fairmont High School grad won silver medal in 3-meter springboard at 1960 Olympics.

Kayla Harrison, judo: Middletown High grad won gold in 78 kilogram division at 2012 London Games and the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Is the only American to win Olympic gold in judo.

Tranel Hawkins, track and field: Trotwood High School hurdler finished sixth in 400-meter event at 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Deon Hemmings, track and field: Central State University runner, a three-time Olympian, became first Jamaican woman to win a gold medal when she won 400-meter hurdles at 1996. Also won silver medals in 400 hurdles and 1,600 relay at 2000 Games.

Bill Hosket, basketball: Belmont High School grad won gold medal with U.S. team at the 1968 Games. Played four seasons in NBA, served on three U. S, Olympic Basketball Committees .

Grace Jividen, judo: Carroll High School grad competed at 145-pound weight class in 1992 Games.

Kristin King, hockey: Piqua High School grad was member of U.S. women’s team that won bronze medal at 2006 Games.

Francis Lane, track and field: Graduate of Franklin High (1891) and Princeton University. Won the 100 meters at 1896 Olympics in Athens. When won his first heat there became first American to compete in modern Olympic Games. Cousin of teammate Albert Tyler.

Renee Laravie, swimming: Alter High grad competed in 100-meter backstroke at 1976 Montreal Games.

Marieme Lo, basketball: Central State University grad played for Senegal at 2000 Games. Lives in Fairborn.

Jerry Lucas, basketball: Middletown High grad won gold with U.S. team at 1960 Olympics. Tied with Oscar Robertson as team’s leading scorer with 136 points in eight games. Seven time NBA All Star…Basketball Hall of Fame.

Holley Mangold, weightlifting: Alter High grad finished 10th in the women’s 75 kilogram-plus at the 2012 Games.

Maty M’Bengue, basketball: Central State Hall of Famer was member of Senegal women’s team in 2000. Worked at Wright State.

Chantae McMillan, track and field: Kettering and Troy resident finished 29th in heptathlon at 2012 Games

Davey Moore, boxing: Springfield native lost in bantamweight quarterfinals at 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Became featherweight champ of world

Edwin Moses, track and field: Fairview High School graduate considered the best 400-meter hurdler of all time. Three-time Olympian won gold medals at the 1976 Montreal Games and 1984 Los Angeles Games and bronze at 1988 Seoul Games.

Bill Mulliken, swimming: Miami University grad won gold in 200-meter breaststroke at 1960 Olympics.

Clayton Murphy, track and field: Tri-Village High grad and Akron All American won gold in 800-meter run at 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Competing in the 800 at the Tokyo Olympics.

Grace Norman, paratriathlon: Paralympic triathlete from Jamestown who graduated from Xenia Christian High School and Cedarville University…won gold in the triathlon at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is competing in triathlon at Tokyo Paralympics.

Eric Ndri, track and field: Two-time Olympian from Central State represented Ivory Coast at 1996 and 2000 Games.

Vida Nsiah, track and field: Central State University sprinter represented Ghana in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Leonard Ngoma, swimming: Wright State swimmer who competed in 200-meter breaststroke for Zambia at 2000 Games.

Darrell Pace, archery: From Hamilton, won gold medals in individual competition at 1976 and 1984 Olympics and took silver in team competition at 1988 Games.

Janelle Parks, cycling: Fairmont West High School grad competed in the 79.2k road race at 1984 Games.

Loung Pham, taekwondo: Fairmont High and Wright State grad was quarterfinalist in flyweight division at 1988 Games.

Catherine Scott Pomales, track and field: Central State University hurdler competed for Jamaica in the 400-meter event at 2000 Games.

Ronald Promesse, track and field: Central State sprinter represented St. Lucia at 2000 Games.

Pat Rupp, hockey: Longtime Dayton Gems player was goalie for U.S. teams at 1964 Innsbruck and 1968 Grenoble games.

Bob Schul, track and field: Milton Union High School and Miami University grad coached track and cross country at Wright State. Won gold in 5000 meters at 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the only American ever to win that event.

Mike Sylvester, basketball: University of Dayton grad won silver medal with Italian team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

David Taylor, wrestling: Four-time state champ at Graham High, four-time Big Ten champ at Penn State and 2018 World Champion is competing in 86-kilogram division at the Tokyo Games.

Kirt Thompson, track and field: Central State University attendee competed in javelin for Trinidad and Tobago in 1996.

Albert C. Tyler, track and field: Franklin High (1888) and Princeton University grad won silver medal in pole vault at 1896 Games. Cousin of teammate Francis Lane,

Joe Tyler, bobsled: 1970 University of Dayton grad finished sixth on the two-man sled and 13th on the four-man sled in 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid.

Louie Vito, snowboarding: Bellfontaine native was fifth in the men’s halfpipe at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Kent Vosler, diving: Eaton High grad finished fourth in 10-meter platform at 1976 Games.

Janelle Atkinson Wignall, swimming: Former Wright State University assistant swim coach and Kettering resident finished fourth in 400-meter freestyle and ninth in 800 freestyle at 2000 Games for Jamaica. Also competed in 200- and 400-meter freestyle at 2004 Games.

Maurice Wignall, track and field: Former Kettering resident and husband of Janelle Atkinson Wignall finished fourth in 110-meter hurdles for Jamaica at 2004 Athens Games.

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