July 6, 2012

Twenty athletes with Arizona ties will compete in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, with competition beginning Friday, July 27 and continuing through Sunday, Aug. 16.

Of the 20 athletes, 11 are swimmers and six are track athletes. Andre Iguodala is still under consideration to play on the U.S. men's basketball team and Ana-Maria Montoya of women's soccer has dual citizenship and will compete for the Colombian National Team. UA graduate Todd Wells returns for a second Olympics as a mountain bike rider.

Matt Grevers, Alyssa Anderson, Clark Burckle and Nick Thoman will represent the U.S. on the swimming side. In addition, Jean Basson, Roland Schoeman and Darian Townsend will swim for South Africa, Simon Burnett will represent Great Britain, Nicolas (Nilo) Oliveira will represent Brazil, Nimrod Shapira-Bar-Or will represent Israel and Albert Subiratswill swim for Venezuela.

For Burnett and Townsend, the 2012 Olympics mark their third appearance in the Olympic Games, as they both competed in 2004 and 2008. Grevers and Basson will see their second appearance after competing in 2002 and the remaining swimmers will be making debuts.

Former Arizona coach Frank Buschwill also be present as the USA Swimming National Team Director.

Junior Brigetta Barrettis the sixth Wildcat to compete in the women's high jump at the Olympic Games. Barrett took second place in the high jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a personal-best clearance of 6-7 (2.01m), the top mark ever by a collegian.

Junior Georganne Molineearned a spot on Team USA after taking second place in the 400-meter hurdles. She clocked a personal-best time of 54.33 and broke her own school record for the fourth time this season. Moline is only the second Wildcat to ever compete in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympic Games.

Junior Julie Labontétook first place in the shot put at the Canadian Trials to earn a trip to London. She had a mark of 57-5.5 (17.51m). Labonté is the first Wildcat from the track and field team to ever represent Canada in the Olympic Games. Furthermore, Labonté is the second Wildcat to ever compete in the women's shot put in the Olympics.

Volunteer assistant coach Bernard Lagat will represent Team USA in the 5,000-meter race, his fourth trip to the Olympics. He took second place in the 5,000-meter final with a time of 13:22.82. Volunteer assistant coach Jill Camarena-Williamspunched her ticket to London, earning a first-place finish in the women's shot put. Her mark of 62-10.5 (19.16m) was good for a second-straight trip to the Olympic Games. Abdi Abdirahman, a former Wildcat, earned his fourth trip to the Olympic Games this year where he will compete in the marathon.

2012 OLYMPIANS WITH ARIZONA TIES

Basketball

Former Student-athlete: UA career Hometown

Andre Iguodala (USA) - 2003, 2004 - Springfield, Ill.

Soccer

Current student-athletes: UA status - Hometown

Ana-Maria Montoya (Colombia) - 2010-11 - Beaverton, Ore.

Cycling

Todd Wells (USA) - Mountain Bike - Durango, Colo.

Track and Field

Current student-athletes: UA status Hometown

Brigetta Barrett(USA) High Jump 2013 senior Wappinger Falls, N.Y.

Julie Labonte'(Canada) Shot put 2013 senior Saint Justine,

Quebec

Georganne Moline(USA) 400M Hurdles 2013 senior Phoenix, Ariz.

Former Student-Athlete:

Abdi Abdirahman (USA) Marathon 1998, 1999 Mogadishu, Somalia

UA Volunteer Assistant Coaches:

Bernard Lagat (USA) 5000m 2012 Kapsabet, Kenya Washington State

Jill Camarena-Williams(USA) Shot put 2012 Woodland, Calif. Stanford

Swimming and Diving

Former Student-Athletes: Event UA Hometown (country representing)

Alyssa Anderson(USA) 4x200 free relay 2009-12 Granite Bay, Calif.

Jean Basson(South Africa) 4x200 free relay 2007-10 Johannesburg, South Africa

Clark Burckle(USA) 200 breaststroke 2010 Louisville, Ky.

Simon Burnett(Great Britain) 4x100 free relay 2003-06 Tetsworth, UK

Nicolas (Nilo) Oliveira (Brazil) 100 free, 4x100 free relay 2006-09 Bello Horizante, Brazil

Roland Schoeman(South Africa) 50 free 1999-02 Pretoria, South Africa

Nimrod Shapira-Bar-Or (Israel) 100 free, 200 free, 100 fly 2009-11 Jerusalem, Israel

Albert Subirats(Venezuela) 100 fly 2005-08 Valencia, Venezuela

Nick Thoman (USA) 100 back 2005-07 Cincinnati, Ohio

Darian Townsend (South Africa) 200 free, 200 IM, relays 2007-08 Pietermartizburg, South Africa

Former Coach:

Frank Busch, USA Swimming National Team Director 1990-2011

Allied Training Participants

Matt Grevers (USA) 100 back, 4-x100 free relay Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics Northwestern (Hillenbrand Aquatic Center)