Football game recognition (from left): Andy Potts, Peter Vanderkaay, Tom Malchow, Dan Ketchum, Andrew Hurd, Kate MacKenzie, Kate Johnson, Gustavo Borges, Bill Martin, Bob Bowman, Steve Warner, Tim Broe, Nick Willis, Jon Urbanchek. Not present: Courtney Babcock, Derya Buyukuncu, Steve Fraser, Valeria Silva, Kevin Sullivan, Alan Webb.
Michigan at the 2004 Athens Olympics
Led by gold medalists Peter Vanderkaay and Dan Ketchum, 16 athletes with ties to the University of Michigan competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. They were joined by three coaches and together represented six countries -- USA (12), Canada (3), Brazil (1), Peru (1), New Zealand (1), Turkey (1) -- across five sports.
Vanderkaay, one of three current Wolverines who earned a trip to Athens, and Ketchum won their first Olympic medals as part of the USA swimming team's victorious men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay squad. Vanderkaay competed in both the preliminary heats and the final, while Ketchum swam in the prelims. Andrew Hurd helped Canada place fifth in the event.
Also earning a medal in Athens was Kate Johnson, who helped the USA women's eight place runner-up behind Romania. Johnson is the first Olympian produced by the young Michigan women's rowing program that debuted as a varsity sport in 1996-97.
Other U-M highlights in Greece included the fourth Olympics for Turkish swimmer Derya Buyukuncu, an eighth-place finish in the 200-meter butterfly for 2000 gold medalist Tom Malchow, and spots in the men's 1,500-meter run semifinals for current Wolverine Nick Willis and alumnus Kevin Sullivan.
In addition, American swimming phenom Michael Phelps, who joined his coach Bob Bowman at Michigan in the fall of 2004 but did not compete for the Wolverines, collected six gold medals and two bronzes in Athens as a 19-year-old.
Medal Winners
| MICHIGAN MEDAL WINNERS | |
| Men's Swimming | |
| Peter Vanderkaay (USA) |  Gold - 4x200m Freestyle Relay |
| Dan Ketchum (USA) | Gold - 4x200m Freestyle Relay |
| Women's Rowing | |
| Kate Johnson (USA) |  Silver - Women's Eight |
Michigan men's swimming well-represented in Athens (from left): Tom Malchow, Jon Urbanchek, Klete Keller (Club Wolverine), Andrew Hurd, Peter Vanderkaay, Michael Phelps, Dan Ketchum, Bob Bowman, Gustavo Borges.
Olympics Diary from Kate Johnson
• 8/6/04 - Part 1: Credentials, gear, security
• 8/8/04 - Part 2: Wrapping up in Bulgaria
• 8/12/04 - Part 3: First look at the course
• 8/14/04 - Part 4: Opening ceremony memories
• 8/15/04 - Part 5: Heating up with world's best
• 9/6/04 - Part 6: Celebration and serendipity
