Michigan at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
The University of Michigan enjoyed an outstanding 2000 Summer Olympics as nine past and present athletes and coaches accounted for 10 medals in Sydney, Australia. The medal count included four golds, two silvers and four bronzes.
Leading the way for the U-M representatives was swimming alumnus Tom Dolan, who won the men's 400-meter individual medley in a world-record time and placed runner-up in the 200 IM. Fellow alum Tom Malchow posted an Olympic record in all three rounds while winning the men's 200-meter butterfly, and incoming freshman Samantha Arsenault (women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay) also earned a gold medal in the swimming pool.
Two U-M assistant coaches competed in Sydney, and each won a medal. Jennifer Brundage was a starter for the victorious USA softball team and led the squad with a .281 batting average (9 for 32) with two home runs, three runs batted in, and four runs scored, while Bernice Orwig compiled 39 saves in five games while helping Team USA to the women's water polo silver medal.
Earning bronze medals in the swimming pool were current Wolverine Chris Thompson in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle as well as alumni Gustavo Borges of Brazil (4x100-meter freestyle relay) and Marcel Wouda of The Netherlands (4x200-meter freestyle relay).
Elise Ray, an incoming freshman on the U-M women's gymnastics team, had to wait almost 10 years for her medal. She and Team USA placed fourth in Sydney, but the Americans were elevated to bronze-medal position on April 28, 2010, after one of China's gymnasts was disqualified for being younger than the minimum age of 16. Ray and her teammates received their medals at the U.S. Championships in August 2010.
A total of 18 individuals with U-M ties represented seven countries -- USA (9), Canada (4), Brazil (1), El Salvador (1), Netherlands (1), Peru (1), Turkey (1) -- in Sydney, with two serving as coaches: former Michigan men's basketball star Rudy Tomjanovich was head coach of the USA men's team that won gold, while current men's swimming head coach Jon Urbanchek was a Team USA assistant for the fifth straight Olympics.
Medal Winners
- Men's Swimming
- Gold: 400m individual medley
- Silver: 200m individual medley
- Men's Swimming
- Gold: 200m Butterfly
- Women's Swimming
- Gold: 4x200m freestyle relay
- Softball
- Gold
- Women's Water Polo
- Silver
- Men's Swimming
- Bronze: 1,500m freestyle
- Women's Gymnastics
- Bronze: Team competition
- Men's Swimming
- Bronze: 4x200m freestyle relay
- Men's Swimming
- Bronze: 4x100m freestyle relay
U-M Olympics Headlines
• 9/23/00 - Thompson Wins Bronze Medal in 1,500 Freestyle
• 9/22/00 - Thompson Advances to 1,500-meter Freestyle Final
• 9/22/00 - Ex-Wolverine Sullivan Looks to Peak at Sydney Olympics
• 9/21/00 - Incoming Freshman Arsenault Wins Gold in Sydney
• 8/21/00 - Urbanchek Named to U.S. Men's Swimming Olympic Staff
• 8/19/00 - Toman Misses Spot on U.S. Men's Gymnastics Olympic Team
• 8/17/00 - Thompson Makes U.S. Men's Olympic Swim Team in 1,500 Free
• 8/17/00 - Men's Gymnast Toman Fourth at U.S. Olympic Trials Prelims
• 8/16/00 - U-M Swimmers at the USA Olympic Trials: Men | Women
• 8/14/00 - Ex-Men's Trackster Sullivan Makes Canadian Olympic Team
• 8/3/00 - Eighteen Wolverines Headed to U.S. Swimming Olympic Team Trials
Roster
The following is a list of University of Michigan representatives who are known to be going to the 2000 Summer Olympics September 13 through October 1 in Sydney, Australia. Years at U-M listed in parentheses. Individuals will be going as competitors unless otherwise noted.
Past and Present Michigan Student-Athletes
Men's Swimming
Chris Thompson (1997-present), USA
Tom Dolan (1994-96), USA
Tom Malchow (1996-99), USA
Owen von Richter (1995-98), Canada
Mike McWha (1997-2000), Canada
Gustavo Borges (1992-95), Brazil
Marcel Wouda (1993-95), Netherlands
Francisco Suriano Siu (1997-2000), El Salvador
Derya Buyukuncu (1995-98), Turkey
Women's Swimming
Shannon Shakespeare (1997-2000), Canada
Men's Diving
Abel Sanchez (1992-95), Peru
Men's Track
Kevin Sullivan (1994-98), Canada
Men's Basketball
Rudy Tomjanovich (1968-70), USA head coach
Incoming Freshmen Who Have Signed Letters of Intent
Women's Swimming
Samantha Arsenault, USA
Women's Gymnastics
Elise Ray, USA
Present U-M Coaches
Men's Swimming
Jon Urbanchek (head coach, 1983-present), USA assistant coach
Softball
Jennifer Brundage (assistant coach, 1999-present), USA
Women's Water Polo
Bernice Orwig (assistant coach, 2000-present), USA
