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Purdue University Athletics

Olympians

There has been no shortage of Boilermakers in the Olympics. In fact, Purdue Olympians have accounted for 14 gold medals, seven silver medals and seven bronze medals. The following is an overview of the performances of Purdue athletes and coaches in past Olympaids.

1900 - PARIS, FRANCE
Purdue's Ray Ewry came away with three gold medals. The Lafayette, Indiana, native captured the standing long jump with a distance of 3.21 meters (10 feet, 6.25 inches). Ewry also won the standing triple jump with a jump of 10.58 meters (34-8.5). Finally, he set a world record with his gold medal-winning standing high jump of 1.65 meters (5-5).
1904 - ST. LOUIS, UNITED STATES
Ewry again stole the show in Olympic athletics competition. Tabbed the "Human Frog," Ewry again won gold medals in the standing high jump (1.60 meters/5 feet, 3 inches), standing triple jump (10.54 meters/34-7.25) and standing long jump. His long jump mark of 3.476 meters (11-4.875) bested his previous Olympic distance, as well as the world record at the time.
1906 - ATHENS, GREECE
Old Gold and Black Olympians. The intention of the Greek people was to hold an Olympic Games midway between each of the "official" Games. The `06 Games, however, marked the only time in Olympic history in which this type of celebration was held. With Ray Ewry still competing in the standing jumps and the emergence of pole vaulter Ed Glover, Purdue was well represented in Athens. Ewry won the standing high jump and standing long jump with distances of 1.56 meters (5 feet, 1.125 inches) and 3.30 meters (10-10), respectively. Glover suffered a somewhat different fate. After Glover cleared 3.35 meters (10-11.75), the competition was sent into a "jump-off." As the former Big Ten champion was on his approach at 3.50 meters (11-5.75), an official crossed his path. Thrown off by the distraction, Glover lost his balance and was injured, ending his hopes for a gold medal. Unable to continue, Glover settled for third place.
1908 - LONDON, ENGLAND
"Phantom" Olympic games. Ray Ewry won his Olympic record ninth and 10th gold medals at the London Games. Ewry won the standing high jump with a distance of 1.575 meters (5 feet, 2 inches) and the standing long jump with a leap of 3.335 meters (10-11.25). To this day, no other athlete has won more Olympic gold medals. The standing jumps, in which Ewry won all 10 of his gold medals, are no longer in existence.
1920 - ANTWERP, BELGIUM
After winning the Big Ten indoor and outdoor two-mile runs in 1920, Cliff Furnas earned a spot on the United States' Olympic team. Furnas competed in the 5,000 meters. He finished fourth in the preliminary round to earn a spot in the finals. There, he started the race, but did not finish.
1936 - BERLIN, GERMANY
There was an absence of Boilermakers at the 1936 Games, but not for lack of an opportunity. The Purdue basketball team was invited to the Olympic Tournament in 1935 to determine which team would represent the U.S. as its first Olympic basketball squad in Berlin. Head coach Ward "Piggy" Lambert and the team declined the invitation. Lambert did not believe in postseason play. He felt the regular season contained plenty of games and that the players did not need to miss any more classes. The winner of the tournament was a squad from Universal Studios in Hollywood, California,. They went on to an 8-0 record and a gold medal at the Berlin Games.
1948 - LONDON, ENGLAND
The `48 Games featured Purdue swimmers for the first time in Olympic history. Keith Carter, Jeanne Wilson-Vaughn and Carol Pence-Taylor each earned a place on the USA's Olympic swimming squad. Carter had the most success as he took fourth place in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 58.3 seconds. The two-time national champion rebounded to capture the silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:40.2). Also in attendance at the London Games was future Purdue women's track coach Fred Wilt. He finished 11th in the 10,000-meter run.
1952 - HELSINKI, FINLAND
The 15th Olympiad saw the introduction of Boilermakers basketball as former Purdue guard Howie Williams played his part on the gold medal-winning USA basketball team. Team USA tallied a record of 8-0 as it cruised through the competition. Purdue swimming was present for the second straight Olympiad as coaching legend Richard "Pappy" Papenguth headed the United States' women's swimming & diving team. One of Pappy's swimmers was Purdue backstroker and student Coralie O'Connor. Papenguth returned to West Lafayette, Indiana, where he coached the Boilermakers until 1969. Fred Wilt competed in the Olympics for the final time as he finished 21st in the 10,000 meters. Wilt would go on the coach the Purdue women's track team from 1978 to `89. For the third time in Olympic history, Purdue basketball was represented. Former Boilermakers women's basketball coach Lin Dunn was an assistant coach for the bronze medal-winning USA women's basketball team.
1956 - MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
For the third straight Olympiad, Purdue swimming was present, but not just for the United States. Purdue student Joan Rosazza won silver with Team USA's 4x100 freestyle relay team and also took fourth individually in the 100-meter free. Additionally, Betty Mullen-Brey competed in the butterfly, while Beth Whittal swam for Canada. Whittal finished seventh in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:17.9.
1960 - ROME, ITALY
Before the emergence of the modern day USA Dream Team basketball squad, the 1960 American Olympic squad was known as the best ever. USA was led by former Ohio State star Jerry Lucas, former Cincinnati legend Oscar Robertson, former West Virginia Mountaineer Jerry West and Purdue's very own Terry Dischinger. The United States blew past the opposition by an average margin of 42 points. Dischinger, along with other members of the 1960 Olympic team were inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame.
1976 - MONTREAL, CANADA
Joe Corso becomes the first Purdue wrestler to compete at the Olympic Games. Corso won his first match in the 125.5-pound weight class over Allah Ditta of Pakistan, 20-8. After the initial victory, Corso took over the No. 1 world ranking. Unfortunately, the former Boilermaker fell to Zbigniew Zedzicki of Poland in 1:02 and then to Masao Arai of Japan in 8:54. The 1975 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year finished the competition with a record of 1-2.After a 52-year hiatus, a Purdue track athlete represented the USA in the Olympics. Larry Burton finished fourth in the 200-meter dash (:20.37). Earlier in the summer, Burton was known as "The Fastest Man on Earth" when he tied the world record for the 60-meter dash at 5.9 seconds and also posted the world's fastest time of 20.3 seconds in the 220-yard dash. Doubling as a lightning quick receiver for the Purdue football team, Burton went on to play several years in the NFL after graduation.
1980 - MOSCOW, RUSSIA
The United States' boycott of the 22nd Olympiad in Moscow cost Purdue's Mark Virts his chance to compete for an Olympic gold medal in men's diving. Virts earned his place on the team after finishing third at the Olympic trials on platform.
1984 - LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
Carol "Coke" Lindsey, who played basketball at Purdue in 1976-77 and 1977-78, made the United States handball team set to compete in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, which the U.S. boycotted. Four years later, Lindsey competed for the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The team won two of five matches in round-robin competition.
1992 - BARCELONA, SPAIN
For the third time in Olympic history, Purdue basketball was represented. Women's basketball coach Lin Dunn was an assistant coach for the bronze medal-winning USA women's basketball team.
1996 - ATLANTA, UNITED STATES
Purdue men's basketball All-American Glenn Robinson was selected to the USA Dream Team, but was forced to withdraw due to an ongoing condition of right Achilles tendinitis.
2000 - SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Four Boilermakers competed down under as the Olympics returned to Australia for the first time since 1956. Purdue was represented on the delegations of the USA, Mexico, Hungary, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. Chris Huffins won bronze in the decathlon in his second Olympic Games. It was the first medal for a Boilermaker since 1960. Huffins would later return to Purdue as an assistant coach with the track & field program.
2002 - SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES
Former Purdue pole vaulter Douglas Sharp made his mark on the Winter Olympic Games, helping end a half-century drought for the United States men's bobsled team. The U.S. took both the silver and bronze in the event as Sharp contributed to the third-place squad.
2008 - BEIJING, CHINA
A school-record five competitors represented Purdue at the 29th Olympiad. Mike Duursma played for the Netherlands as Purdue baseball's first-ever Olympian. Track & field standout Nedzad Mulabegovic qualified for his second Olympics in the shot put for Croatia, while Kara Patterson made her debut for the United States in the javelin. Divers David Boudia and Mary Beth Dunnichay both represented Team USA before becoming Purdue students. Boudia would enroll a few weeks after the Olympics concluded. Dunnichay came to Purdue in the fall of 2011 after being the youngest member (at the age of 14) of the 2008 U.S. delegation across all sports.
2012 - LONDON, ENGLAND
David Boudia led an outstanding Olympic Games for Purdue, becoming the first American to win gold in the men's 10-meter platform dive since 1988. Boudia won the event in dramatic fashion, scoring 90-plus points on five of his six dives, including a 102.60 on his final dive. He also collected a bronze medal in the synchronized 10-meter platform, teaming with Nick McCrory, becoming the first American team to earn a medal in the event since its addition to the games in 2000. Boilermaker soccer standout Lauren Sesselmann added a bronze medal as well at the games, helping Canada to a third-place finish in women's soccer, blanking France 1-0 in the bronze-medal game to earn its first Summer Games medal in a traditional team sport since 1936.
2016 - RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
The Boilermakers fielded a school-record eight Olympians, including the first-ever female gold medalist, the first-ever female three-time Olympic qualifier and the best-ever finish for the United States in 10-meter synchronized platform diving. Amanda Elmore helped guide the United States women's eight rowing team to a gold medal, while Kara (Patterson) Winger competed in the women's javelin for the third time in her Olympic career. David Boudia teamed with fellow Boilermaker Steele Johnson for a silver-medal finish in synchronized 10-meter diving, and later took bronze to become the first U.S. male to medal in the individual 10-meter platform competition in consecutive Olympics since Greg Louganis won gold in 1984 and 1988. Purdue had its first-ever Olympians in women's basketball and women's golf, featuring Aya Traore and Paula Reto, respectively.
2020 - TOKYO, JAPAN (Contested in 2021)
The Boilermakers again set a school record, sending 10 Olympians to the Tokyo Games that were delayed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Purdue volleyball's first-ever Olympian, Annie Drews, helped Team USA win gold. Drews starred throughout bracket play, leading the U.S. in kills and points in wins vs. the Dominican Republic, Serbia and Brazil as the Americans did not drop a set. Kara (Patterson) Winger became Purdue's first female athlete to be a four-time Olympian, qualifying in the javelin again for Team USA. She was selected as a USA Track & Field team captain and the U.S. flag bearer for the closing ceremony. As the event winner at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Brandon Loschiavo earned the right to compete in 10-meter diving and in doing so extended the streak to four consecutive Olympics that a Boilermaker represented Team USA on the tower at the Olympics. Purdue track & field led the way with five Olympians, including finalists Devynne Charlton (100m hurdles) and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (shot put). Purdue swimming & diving had four Olympians, qualifying a male swimmer and a female swimmer in the same year for the first time since 2000.

NAME YEARS AT PURDUE COUNTRY OLYMPIC SPORT MEDALS
1900
Ray Ewry 1892-96 USA Track & Field 3 Gold
1904
Ray Ewry 1892-96 USA Track & Field 3 Gold
Lacey Hearn 1902-04 USA Track & Field Bronze, Silver
Bill Verner 1903-06 USA Track & Field 2 Silver
1906
Ed Glover 1903-05 USA Track & Field Bronze
Ray Ewry 1892-96 USA Track & Field 2 Gold
1908
Ray Ewry 1892-96 USA Track & Field 2 Gold
1920
Cliff Furnas 1920-22 USA Track & Field -
1948
Keith Carter 1946-49 USA Swimming Silver
Carol Pence - USA Swimming -
Jeanne Wilson - USA Swimming -
1952
Coralie O'Conner - USA Swimming -
Howie Williams 1946, 1948-50 USA Basketball Gold
1956
Betty Brey - USA Swimming -
Joan Rosazza 1955-59 USA Swimming Silver
Beth Whittal - Canada Swimming -
1960
Terry Dischinger 1960-62 USA Basketball Gold
1972
Larry Burton 1972-74 USA Track & Field -
1976
Joe Corso 1974-75 USA Wrestling -
1984
Carol "Coke" Lindsey 1977-78 (basketball) USA Handball -
1996
Chris Huffins 1989-90 USA Track & Field -
Gerald Koh 1996-99 Singapore Swimming -
Gyongyver Lakos 1997-2000 Hungary Swimming -
2000
Javier Diaz 1998-2001 Mexico Swimming -
Chris Huffins 1989-90 USA Track & Field Bronze
Gyongyver Lakos 1997-2000 Hungary Swimming -
Theekshana Ratnasekera 2001-02 Sri Lanka Swimming -
2002
Douglas Sharp 1988-93 USA Four-Man Bobsled Bronze
2004
Javier Diaz 1998-2001 Mexico Swimming -
Nedzad Mulabegovic 2002-05 Croatia Track & Field -
2008
David Boudia 2008-11 USA Diving -
Mary Beth Dunnichay 2011-16 USA Diving -
Mike Duursma 2000-01 Netherlands Baseball -
Nedzad Mulabegovic 2002-05 Croatia Track & Field -
Kara Patterson 2005-09 USA Track & Field -
2012
David Boudia 2008-11 USA Diving Gold, Bronze
Nedzad Mulabegovic 2002-05 Croatia Track & Field -
Kara Patterson 2005-09 USA Track & Field -
Lauren Sesselmann 2001-05 Canada Soccer Bronze
2016
David Boudia 2008-11 USA Diving Silver, Bronze
Carmiesha Cox 2014-18 The Bahamas Track & Field -
Amanda Elmore 2012-15 USA Rowing Gold
Jinq En Phee 2016-20 Malaysia Swimming -
Steele Johnson 2015-19 USA Diving Silver
Paula Reto 2009-12 South Africa Golf -
Aya Traore 2004-06 Senegal Basketball -
Kara (Patterson) Winger 2005-09 USA Track & Field -
2020 (Contested in 2021)
Nikola Aćin 2018-Pr Serbia Swimming -
Camille Buscomb 2009-11 New Zealand Track & Field -
Devynne Charlton 2014-18 The Bahamas Track & Field -
Samson Colebrooke 2018-21 The Bahamas Track & Field -
Tyler Downs 2021-Pr USA Diving -
Annie Drews 2015-12 USA Volleyball Gold
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi  2013-16 Nigeria Track & Field -
Brandon Loschiavo 2016-21 USA Diving -
Jinq En Phee 2016-20 Malaysia Swimming -
Kara (Patterson) Winger 2005-09 USA Track & Field -