Wrestling:


Rulon Gardner, US, Greco-Roman ~ 130 KG/286 LBS
Gardner after qualifying: "I want to cry right now. It is one of those things you never think will get here. I live by one style-I live 100%. I don't care about the recognition, I just want to win. I've been down the long roads. I know what it will take to win in Sydney."
Olympic Profiles: Rulon Gardner.com | The Mat.com | Olympics.com | NBC | CNNSI
Photos: Here (Out of Order) | in red
Multimedia:
-U.S. wrestling gold medalist Rulon Gardner on his approach to wrestling Russian Alexsandre Kareline. 9/27/00
-Rulon Gardner talks about the expectations he had against the three-time Olympic champion. Did he expect to win? 9/28/00
-Rulon Gardner talks about what Karelin said to him and what he said to the Russian champion. 9/28/00
-Rulon Gardner describes how he grew up on a Wyoming farm and got stronger and stronger. 9/28/00
-Rulon Gardner recalls the last time he wrestled Karelin and how the Russian champion threw him around. 9/28/00
-Olympic Champ Has Humble Background
Results:
-defeated Omrane Ayari of Tunisia 7-2 (Elimination Round)
-defeated Haykaz Galstyan of Armenia 6-0 (Elimination Round)
-defeated Juri Yevseychyc of Isreal 3-2 (Semifinals)
-defeated Alexandre Kareline of Russia 1-0 OT (Finals) and is awarded the Gold Medal


Matt Lindland, US, Greco-Roman ~ 76 KG/167.5 LBS
Olympic Profiles: The Mat.com | Olympics.com | NBC | CNNSI
Photos: Here | NBC Slideshow | Snap shots of the rematch | in red | in blue
Results:
-defeated Tarieli Melelashvili of Georgia (the country) 3-0 (Elimination Round)
-defeated Kader Slila of Algeria 6-0 (Elimination Round)
-defeated David Manukyan of Ukraine 7-4 (Semifinals)
-loses to Mourat Kardanov of Russia 0-3 (Finals) and is awarded the (Bronze Medal


Volleyball:


Allison Weston, #18, Position OPP, Attended NU 1992-1995.
Olympic Profiles: NBC | Olympics.com | CNNSI | USA Volleyball
Photos: Here
Nebraska Sports America:
Papillion High School alum and former Husker All-American Allison Weston captained Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the Games. The fight for the bronze was tight, with Brazil defeating the U.S., 25-18, 25-22 and 25-21. However, most Nebraskans probably remember her from when she led the Cornhuskers to a 63-2 record in her final two seasons, including their first ever national championship in 1995. Weston finished her collegiate career as the only three-time, first-team AVCA All-American in Husker history. She also was the first ever Morgan Trophy Award winner, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate volleyball player. It was this kind of skill and award-winning attitude that helped Team USA qualify for the Olympics, with Weston recording 25 kills, 22 digs and four blocks at the NIKE Americas’ Volleyball challenge.


Gymnastics:


Peggy Liddick, Coach, Australia
Olympic Profiles:
News:
-Australia's Slater, Liddick here to win
-Australia ready to take the world stage
Photos: NBC Gallery
Nebraska Sports America:
A former UNL gymnastics coach, Peggy Liddick recently led her Australian gymnastic team to a seventh-place finish in Sydney. Although she said that having the home crowd offered no technical advantage, she added that it provided a great psychological boost. It was probably similar to the boost Liddick had while coaching the two-time Gold Medallist Shannon Miller of the American team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.


Diving:


Marion Reiff, Austria, Freshman at Nebraska.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-37th in 10m Platform Preliminary
-4th (No Medal) in Synchronized 10m Platform Final (Teammate: Anja Richter-Libiseller)
Nebraska Sports America:
Austrian Marion Reiff just missed medalling by finishing fourth in the 10-meter platform.


Swimming:


Adam Pine, Australia, Senior at Nebraska.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-4th (Qualified) in 4x100m Medley Heats 1 (Relay Team: Josh Watson, Ryan Mitchell, Adam Pine, Ian Thorpe)
-2nd (Qualified) in 4x100m Medely Heats 2 (Relay Team: Same)
Nebraska Sports America:
Pine won a gold and silver as a member of the Australian relays. He earned the gold in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. In addition, he won a silver medal in the 400-meter medley relay, as he was listed as an alternate. Pine swam the third leg of the preliminaries, but the Ballina, Australia, native did not swim in the final. At UNL in 2000, Pine became the first Husker male to win an individual NCAA title in the 100-meter butterfly with a school record time of 51.23. For his career, he earned 29 All-American awards and four Big 12 titles.


Anna Windsor, Austalia, Junior at Nebraska.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-25th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Ind Medley Heats
Nebraska Sports America:
Australian Anna Windsor took home eighth in her heat in the 200-meter medley (2:19.44) and she was 25th overall.


Michael Windisch, Austria, Senior
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-27th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Ind Medley Heats
-28th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Butterfly Heats
-26th (Did Not Qualify) in 400m Ind Medley Heats
Nebraska Sports America:
Windisch took part in three events in Australia. His best showing came in the 400-meter individual medley finishing 26th with a time of 4:24.62. He finished one place lower at 27th in the 200-meter individual medley clocking in at 2:05.15. He also finished 28th overall in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:01.20. Windisch capped a Husker career with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in the 400-meter breaststroke and a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter freestyle. He earned six All-American awards at Nebraska.


Elvira Fischer, Austria, Sophomore at Nebraska.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-19th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Breaststroke Heats
-24th (Did Not Qualify) in 100m Breaststroke Heats
Nebraska Sports America:
This was the second time UNL sophomore Elvira Fischer has competed in the Olympics for her homeland Austria. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, she placed 23rd in the 200-meter breaststroke. In Sydney, Fischer was first in heat, finishing 24th overall with a time of 1:11.58 for the 100-meter breaststroke, and was eighth in heat, finishing 19th overall with a score of 2:30.5 for the 200-meter breaststroke. At UNL, Fischer also has captured the All-American award with a 10th-place finish in the 200-meter breaststroke.


Helene Muller, South Africa, Senior
Olympic Profiles: South Africa OC | Olympics.com
Results:
-2nd (Qualified) in 200m Freestyle Heats
-9th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Freestyle Semifinal Race 1
-5th (Qualified) in 100m Freestyle Heats
-3rd (Qualified) in 100m Freestyle Semifinal Race 2
-6th (No Medal) in 100m Freestyle Final
-25th (Did Not Qualify) in 50m Freestyle Heats
-5th (Qualified) in 4x100m Medley Heats (Relay Team: Charlene Wittstock, Sarah Poewe, Helene Muller, Mandy Loots)
-5th (No Medal) in 4x100m Medley Heats (Relay Team: Same)
Nebraska Sports America:
Muller competed in four events for South Africa. She anchored a fifth-place finish in the 4x100 meter relay that finished in 4:05.15. In the 200-meter freestyle, she finished fifth with a time of 2:00.04, missing qualifying by .07. The physical therapy major also was in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 25:06. In the 1996 Atlanta Games, she swam in the fourth-place 400-meter relay, and was also the South African national champion in the 100-meter freestyle that year.


Penny Heyns, South Africa, Attended NU 1993-1996.
Olympic Profiles: South Africa OC | NBC | Olympics.com
Photos: Here
Results:
-2nd (Qualified) in 100m Breastroke Heats
-5th (Qualified) in 100m Breastroke Semifinals
-3rd (Bronze Medal) in 100m Breastroke Final
-20th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Breastroke Heats
Nebraska Sports America:
The two-time gold medal winner added a bronze medal to her collection in her third Olympic Games. She won the bronze in the 100-meter with a time of 1:07.55. She is the current Olympic and world record holder in the event. Heyns also entered the 200-meter breaststroke finishing 20th overall. Heyns won gold medals in the 200-meter breaststroke and the 100-meter breaststroke in 1996 in Atlanta. Heyns was the first South African to win a gold medal since 1952with her victory in Atlanta.


Therese Alshammar, Sweden, Junior.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com | NBC | Sweden IOC (PDF format)
News:
-Alshammer Takes Silver; Huskers Continue to Swim Well. 9/21/00
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
Results:
-2nd (Qualified) in 4x100m Free Relay Heats (Relay Team: Louise Joehncke, Therese Alshammar, Jahonna Sjoeberg, Anna-Karin Kammerling)
-3rd (Bronze Medal) in 4x100m Free Relay Heats (Relay Team: Same)
-6th (Qualified) in 100m Freestyle Heats
-7th (Qualified) in 100m Freestyle Semifinal Race 1
-2nd (Silver Medal) in 100m Freestyle Finals
-4th (Qualified) in 50m Freestyle Heats
-2nd (Qualified) in 50m Freestyle Semifinals
-2nd (Silver Medal) in 50m Freestyle Finals
Nebraska Sports America:
Alshammer won two individual silver medals and on bronze medal in a relay. She won a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle, finishing in 24.51 seconds, losing by .19 seconds to Inge De Bruijn of the Netherlands. The Swede snared a bronze medal as a member of Sweden's 4x100-meter relay. Her three Olympic medals tie her with Penny Heyns for most Olympic medals won by a former Husker in one Olympiad. In two days in 1999 at the European Short course Championships, she broke three world records. The records were set in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle and the 200-meter freestyle relay.


Juan Benavides, Spain.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-15th (Did Not Qualify) in 4x100m Free Relay Heat 1 (Relay Team: Jorge Luis Ulibarri, Eduardo Lorente, Juan Benavides, Javier Botello)
Nebraska Sports America:
Benavides was part of the 4x100 meter relay that finished 15th overall and fourth in its heat. The Spaniard also swam at the Atlanta Games in 1996 with the Spanish national team. In Atlanta, Benavides was in the sprint freestyle events for the Spanish national team. In Atlanta, Benavides was in the sprint freestyle events for the Spanish team, and finished 30th in the 50-meterfreestyle and 33rd in the 100-meter freestyle. While at Nebraska, Benavides became only the third , and last swimmer in Big8/Big 12 history to sweep the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard freestyle events when he accomplished the feat in 1996.


Javier Botello, Spain, Junior at Nebraska.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-15th (Did Not Qualify) in 4x100m Free Relay Heat 1 (Relay Team: Jorge Luis Ulibarri, Eduardo Lorente, Juan Benavides, Javier Botello)
-28th (Did Not Qualify) in 100m Freestyle Heats
-15th (Did Not Qualify) in 4x100m Medley Heats (Relay Team: David Ortega, Santiago Castellanos, Daniel Morales, Javier Botello)
Nebraska Sports America:
Botello competed in three events at the Summer Games. In the 100-meter freestyle he was fourth in his heat and 28th overall with a time of 50.87. Botello was part of two relays, finishing 15th overall with a time of 3:42.76 in the 4x100 meter freestyle. He is a five-time All-American swimmer at Nebraska.


Valery Kalmikovs, Latvia, Sophomore at Nebraska.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-34th (Did Not Qualify) in 100m Breaststroke Heats
-19th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Breaststroke Heats
-24th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Ind Medely Heats
Nebraska Sports America:
Kalmikovs competed in three events at the Sydney Games. The ex-Husker finished 34th overall in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:04.02. He touched the wall in the 200-meter individual medley he came in 24th with a time of 2:04. He finished his Nebraska career at the NCAA Championships with a sixth-place finish in the finish in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2000. Kalmikovs earned seven All-America awards while at Nebraska.


Razvan Florea, Romania, Freshman at Nebraska.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-21st (Did Not Qualify) in 100m Backstroke Heats
-9th (Did Not Qualify) in 4x200m Free Relay Heat2 (Relay Team: Dragos Camon, Cezar Badita, Ioan Gherghel, Razvan Florea)
-6th (No Medal) in 200m Backstroke Final
Nebraska Sports America:
Razvan Florea, a Romanian, took sixth in the 200-meter backstroke. Florea touched the waill in 1:59.05.


Ioan Gherghel, Romania, Freshman at Nebraska.
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-21st (Did Not Qualify) in 100m Butterfly Heats
-9th (Did Not Qualify) in 4x200m Free Relay Heats Heat2 (Relay Team: Dragos Camon, Cezar Badita, Ioan Gherghel, Razvan Florea)
-17th (Did Not Qualify) in 200m Butterfly Heats
Nebraska Sports America:
Ioan Gherghel placed seventh in his heat and 21st overall in the 100-meter butterfly. Gherghel's time of 54.13 was just four-tenth's of a second out of qualifying for the Semis.


Track & Field:


Merlene Ottey, Jamaica, Attended NU 1980-84
Olympic Profiles: NBC | The Merlene Ottey Tribute | A Star Reborn | Husker Webcast | Olympics.com
Photos: Here
Results:
-1st in 100m Round 1, Heat 9
-1st in 100m Round 2, Heat 1
-1st in 100m Semifinals Race 1
-4th (No Medal) in 100m Final
-2nd (Silver Medal) in 4x100m Relay Final


Jimmy Pino, Columbia, 200 meters, Sophomore
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com
Results:
-6th in 200m


Jelena Stanisavljevic, Yugoslavia, Sophomore at Nebraska
Olympic Profiles: Olympics.com



Links:
Official Site of the 2000 Olympic Games | Sydney 2000 | US Olympic Committee
Huskers.com | Olympics from CBS | NBC Olympics | US Olympics Team.com