It's that time again! The 2012 Olympics have people everywhere wondering who will reel in the gold medals and this year, the Olympians from Florida are extremely promising. These Florida Olympians are either originally from the state, currently call Florida their home, or went to school in Florida. They all have tremendous athletic abilities. These 12 Florida Olympians will be representing us in the summer Olympic games held in London, England on July 27 through August 12, 2012:
Elizabeth Beisel- Currently a Gainsville, FL resident, Elizabeth, a super swimmer was still in high school when she participated in the 2008 Olympics in Bejing. She was the youngest member of the U.S. swimming team at the time, at a mere 15 years old. She placed 4th in the 400m individual medley and 5th in the 200m backstroke in the 2008 games. After the Olympics, she graduated with a full scholarship to UF where she went on to win 3 international gold medals and 1 bronze. Read more about Elizabeth Beisel.
Phil Dalhausser- A Swiss-born beach volleyball phenom is back in action for his second consecutive shot at the Olympics. He moved to Orlando, FL when he was 1 year old and eventually went on to attend UCF. Phil will be returning to the 2012 Olympics with his partner Todd Rogers. They have won a number of high-profile matches and 9 matches on the 2010 World Tour together. Read more about Phil Dalhausser.
Tyson Gay- This Track and Field star from Lexington, KY who now lives in Clermont, FL will be competing in London at the 2012 summer games. While attending the University of Kentucky he became the first Razorback to win the NCAA 100m title and still holds the state title from high school. He is known as the second fastest man in history. Read more about Tyson Gay.
Jake Kaminski- Jake currently resides in Edgewater, FL and will be competing in archery at the 2012 Olympic summer games. He moved to the U.S. Olympic Training Center at 18 and earned gold and silver with his team in the 2010 World Cup. Read more about Jake Kaminski.
Hunter Kemper- A triathlete is from Longwood, FL who currently resides in Colorado Springs, CO. His is the only American male triathlete to make it to the top of the world rankings. He also competed in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic games. Read more about Hunter Kemper.
Dagny Knutson - This swimmer who lives in Gainesville, FL came from a family of superstar athletes. Her mother played basketball at the University of Louisville and her father played football for the University of North Dakota. Dagny won the 2011 gold medal with the 800m relay team in the World Championship. Read more about Dagny Knutson.
Ryan Lochte- Lochte will be competing as a swimmer at the 2012 summer games. He currently lives in Gainesville, FL and this will be his 3rd consecutive time representing us in the Olympic games. He won a silver medal in the 2004 games and he won 2 gold and 2 bronze medals in 2008. He has broken 6 world records and still holds 3 of them to this day. Read more about Ryan Lochte.
Heather Mitts- A UF graduate who will be representing us in the soccer division at the 2012 Olympics. She played in the 2004 games and recovered from some injuries to make it into the 2008 games as well. She went on to become the oldest player in the U.S. to make a World Cup debut. Read more about Heather Mitts.
David Oliver - David was born in Denver, CO and currently lives in Kissimmee, FL. He participated in the 2008 Olympics and won a bronze medal for track and field. Oliver still currently owns both the Howard school and MEAC indoor and outdoor hurdle records. Read more about David Oliver.
Dara Torres - This UF graduate will be competing in the 2012 summer games and she has also competed in the 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008 Olympic games. She is the oldest Olympic swimmer in history to qualify and medal and the first to win a medal in five Olympic games. Read more about Dara Torres.
Brittany Viola - Brittany is a resident of Miami who will be representing us on the U.S. Olympic team for diving. Although she was not an official member until this year, she was an alternate for the 2004 and 2008 Olympic games. She won 2 national titles in 2011. Read more about Brittany Viola.
Abby Wambach - Wambach is a UF graduate that will be playing soccer in the 2012 Olympics. She won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and 2 bronze medals and a silver at the 2011 World Cup. She is the second highest all-time scorer for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team. Read more about Abby Wambach.