Every four years, the summer Olympics is a topic of conversation around the world. This year, the 30th Olympiad took place in London, England, and inspired many Academy athletes.
“Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh in beach volleyball inspired me to try beach volleyball,” senior Maria Leinweber said. “Beach volleyball is much more challenging, and the teamwork between the two impressed me as well.”
Treanor and Walsh traveled to England to compete for their third gold in three consecutive Olympics, having also competed in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. The three-peat in beach volleyball was unprecedented.
Track and field was another event that students paid attention to in the games. Track and field stars, including Allyson Felix, Lolo Jones and Carmelita Jeter, played inspirational and triumphant roles in the games.
“The track and field events really inspired me,” senior track and field athlete Janelle Sabugo said. “Their expression of happiness when those who competed finished their race and won inspired me to work hard in the sport.”
Swimming was a popular sport among many students. Missy Franklin, 17, won five medals at the games, four of which were gold. She also set the world record in the 200-meter backstroke.
“Although I love track and field, I can relate to Missy Franklin,” said freshman runner Phoebe Kirk. “She inspired me because despite all of the school activities she still committed to training. She did not let anything hold her back, and she was able to manage both swimming and school.”
Other inspirational athletes in the London Olympics included the women’s gymnastics team, comprised of world champion Jordyn Weiber, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross and Gabrielle Douglas. The girls, affectionately known as the “Fierce Five,” won gold medals for the gymnastics all-around competition. This was the first women’s team to win the gold medal in the all-around competition since the 1996 “Fab Seven” in the Atlanta games.
Gabrielle Douglas also won gold in the individual all-around competition. She is the first African-American woman in Olympics history to do so.
For the first time in the history of the Olympics, the number of women athletes also outnumbered the men. The American women outscored the men in the number of medals won.
“All the Olympic athletes inspire me to do my best in my sports,” Kirk said. “I figure if they can put in the hours to train, then I can try my hardest in practice.”
