Florida will be well-represented when athletes from around the world make their way into Olympic Park in London for the opening of the 2012 Summer Games.
At least 92 athletes with Florida ties, of whom 51 will be suited up in the red, white and blue -- and we know we didn't catch everybody -- are in Britain for the Games. The Games began Wednesday with opening matches in womens soccer, in which University of Florida alumni Abby Wambach and Heather Mitts pace the U.S. team.
Meanwhile, Colombias women include Melissa Ortiz, a product of Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach and Lynn University.
The Gators will have additional representation at the Games as 230 members of the Pride of the Sunshine marching band -- paying about $4,000 each on top of $100,000 from the provosts office -- cross the pond to perform for the U.S. Embassy and at an event before the opening ceremonies.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater sent out a message that the athletes representing Team USA are examples off America exceptionalism.
As Americans we are known to be hard-working, and Team USA is no exception, Atwater stated. I am proud and excited to see 51 talented athletes from the great state of Florida joining the ranks of Team USA to represent our nation at the Olympics. I look forward to cheering loudly for our fellow Floridians and for every athlete who put in the time and effort it takes to compete at the highest level against the best athletes in the world.
Go Team USA!
Among the athletes with Florida ties:
Team USA
Women's basketball
Sylvia Fowles, Miami native.
Men's basketball
LeBron James, Miami Heat.
Women's volleyball
Foluke Akinradewo, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Fort Lauderdale.
Women's soccer
Heather Mitts, UF.
Abby Wambach, UF.
Archery
Jake Kaminski, Edgewater.
Taekwondo
Paige McPherson, Miami resident.
Men's gymnastics
Danell Leyva, Miami resident.
Men's swimming
Gregg Troy (coach), UF.
Clark Burckle, UF.
Ryan Lochte, UF.
Conor Dwyer, UF.
Gregg Troy, UF.
Women's swimming
Elizabeth Beisel, UF.
Dana Vollmer, UF.
Men's track and field
Tony McQuay, UF, Suncoast High, Riviera Beach.
Maurice Mitchell, FSU.
Jeff Demps, UF, Winter Garden.
Mike Holloway (coach), UF.
Will Claye, UF.
Kerron Clement, UF.
Christian Taylor, UF.
Manuel Huerta, FAU, Miami resident.
Tyson Gay, trains with National Training Center, Orlando.
Kellie Wells, trains with National Training Center, Orlando.
Justin Gatlin, trains with National Training Center, Orlando.
Women's track and field
Lacy Janson, FSU.
T'Erea Brown, University of Miami.
Amy Deem (coach) University of Miami.
Sanya Richards-Ross, St. Thomas Aquinas High, Pembroke Pines.
Lauryn Williams, University of Miami.
Mens sailing
Zach Railey, Clearwater.
Mark Mendelblatt, St. Petersburg.
Womens sailing
Sarah Lihan, St. Thomas Aquinas High.
Anna Tunnicliffe, Plantation resident.
Paige Railey, Clearwater.
Rowing
Robin Prendes, Miami resident.
Men's tennis
Andy Roddick, Boca Prep.
Women's tennis
Serena Williams, Palm Beach Gardens resident.
Venus Williams, Palm Beach Gardens resident.
Lisa Raymond, UF.
Women's diving
Brittany Viola, University of Miami.
Women's triathlon
Laura Bennett, North Palm Beach resident.
Men's triathlon
Manny Huerta, Miami resident.
World
Canada swimming
Sinead Russell, UF.
Canada diving
Reuben Ross, University of Miami.
Canada soccer
Mel Booth (alternate) UF.
Colombia swimming
Omar Pinzon, UF.
Mateo de Angulo, FSU.
Colombia soccer
Melissa Ortiz, Cardinal Newman High, Lynn University.
Colombia gymnastics
Jessica Gil Ortiz, Miami resident.
Great Britain track and field
Shara Proctor, UF.
Great Britain basketball
Azania Stewart, UF.
Great Britain swimming
Marco Loughran, UF.
Jemma Lowe, UF.
Steph Proud, UF.
Gemma Spofforth, UF.
Great Britain volleyball
Savanah Leaf, University of Miami.
Ciara Michel, University of Miami.
Great Britain beach volleyball
Steve Grotowski, Northeast High, Fort Lauderdale, Boynton Beach resident.
Jamaica swimming
Alia Atkinson, Flanagan High, Pembroke Pines resident.
Jamaica track and field
Michael Frater, Boyd Anderson High, Lauderdale Lakes.
Dorian Scott, FSU.
Kimberly Williams, FSU.
Novlene Williams-Mills, UF.
Lithuanian basketball
Deividas Dulkys, FSU.
Kuwait swimming
Yousef Alaskari, American Heritage School, Plantation.
Barbados swimming
Bradley Ally, Pine Crest School, Fort Lauderdale.
Kazakstan swimming
Vlad Polyakov, St. Thomas Aquinas High.
Dominican Republic swimming
Nicholas Schwab, Douglas High, Parkland.
Grenada swimming
Esau Simpson, Nova Southeastern.
Virgin Island swimming
Branden Whitehurst, Miami resident.
Venezuela swimming
Arlene Semeco, Coral Springs Aquatic Complex.
Puerto Rico track and field
Eric Alejandro, Flanagan High.
Cayman Islands track and field
Ronald Forbes, Florida International University.
Haiti track and field
Moise Joseph, Miami Central High.
Ivory Coast track and field
Murielle Ahoure, University of Miami.
Suriname track and field
Kirsten Nieuwendam , St. Thomas Aquinas High.
Barbados swimming
Bradley Ally, UF.
Iceland swimming
Sarah Bateman, UF.
Poland swimming
Marcin Cieslak, UF.
Spain swimming
Melani Costa-Schmid, UF.
Cayman Island swimming
Brett Fraser, UF.
Shaune Fraser, UF.
Hungary swimming
Csaba Gercsak, UF.
Haiti track and field
Moise Joseph, UF.
Australia track and field
Genevieve LaCaze, UF.
Tunisia swimming
Sarra Lajnef, UF.
Iceland swimming
Hilda Luthersdottir, UF.
Bosnia track and field
Kemal Mesic, UF.
Puerto Rico swimming
Raul Martinez, UF.
South Africa mens swimming
Sebastian Rousseau, UF.
Darian Townsend, UF.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
