Bucky down under: Alumni compete in Olympics

They probably won’t be wearing cheeseheads in Sydney, but this fall’s Olympic Games will still have a Wisconsin flavor. Following in the tradition of past UW Olympians, a number of Badgers are going for the gold.

Here’s a roundup of the competitors:

Torrey Folk ’97, rowing: The Badger women’s crew has contributed at least one rower to each Olympics since women’s rowing became a medal sport in 1976. Folk keeps that streak alive by winning a seat on the eight-person boat. Folk, who transferred to UW–Madison and competed with the Badgers for two years, has won two medals in World Championship races. This is her first Olympics.

Suzy Favor Hamilton ’91, 1,500 meters: The most celebrated Badger runner in history, Favor Hamilton will make a run for the gold in Sydney. She’ll have to beat favorite Regina Jacobs, who won at the Trials. But the former nine-time NCAA champion ran her best time in July, nearly breaking the American record. She’s been around the Olympics before, competing in both 1992 and 1996, but has never won a medal. After rededicating herself in the wake of her brother’s suicide, she is determined to finish strong this time.

Pascal Dobert ’97, 3,000-meter steeplechase: Dobert won an NCAA title while a Badger in 1997, and his career has only gotten better since. He won national titles in the steeplechase in 1998 and 1999 and came into this summer’s Olympic Trials on a roll, winning the event and almost setting a Trials record. Still, he’ll face a tough test in Sydney. Kenya, home to 10 of the world’s top 15 steeplechasers, may sweep the medals. But if an American can break through, Dobert is the best bet to do it.

Eric Mueller ’94, rowing: A 1994 graduate and product of the powerhouse UW crew program, Mueller qualified for his second Olympic Games. He’ll take a seat on the U.S. four-man boat without coxswain, which won a qualifying race in Switzerland this summer to join the Olympic squad. In the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Mueller’s crew won a silver medal and a homecoming parade for the Cedarburg native.

Kirk Penney x’03, basketball, New Zealand: Penney, a sophomore, had a busy summer, touring Europe with the UW team and earning a spot on the Olympic team in his native New Zealand. So forget midterms: He’s spending part of this semester in Sydney. A valuable reserve for last year’s Final Four team, Penney is completing some school work while on the road, and he’ll return to classes full time in October — just in time for practice.

Kurt Borcherding ’90, rowing: Since graduation, Borcherding has had plenty of success on the international circuit as a three-time member of the U.S. national team. He’ll make his first trip to the Olympics as an alternate for the U.S. men’s team. He could wind up on a two-, four-, or eight-person boat for the U.S. team in Sydney.