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Local eyes on the Olympics, Gainesville, FL Olympics Local Eyes on the
IT’S A LONG WAY from Leonardo’s By the Slice to Athens, Greece, but for Abby Wambach, one of 49 potential Olympians with ties to the University of Florida, that’s the journey. Wambach, who graduated from UF in 2001, and is now part of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, says that during her stay in Gainesville, the pizza store at the corner of University Avenue and 13th Street was her favorite restaurant. During an interview last month, the former Gator was reluctant to say whether she would actually be on the team that goes to Athens from August 13 to 29, but others say that she’s a lock.
“Hopefully, I’ll be on the roster, barring some sort of injury,” she said. “But there are currently 30 to 33 players on the team, and only 18 will be on the Olympic roster. Just having this opportunity is every little kid’s dream. It’s especially gratifying to be able to do it on a team level after a few years of being with these other players. There’s no better atmosphere. Walking in during the opening ceremonies behind the American flag, representing my country, will be great, and it will be an honor I will never forget.”
With so much being said about security in Athens, Wambach says that it is in the back of her mind, “but I feel 100 percent confident in the IOC, USOC and the soccer federation,” she said. “I don’t believe they would ever put us in a dangerous situation.” If Wambach is marching into the Olympic stadium representing the United States in August, she says that part of the reason is what she learned as a Gator.
“At UF you learn how to perform at the highest level,” she said. “It is difficult to go to school, do your studies and participate in college sports, but I don’t think that any other school prepares its athletes and students better than UF.”
Sara McLarty, who will graduate in December, is another Gator with hopes of representing the United States in Athens. McLarty, is scheduled to participate in the swimming trials at Long Beach, California from July 7 to 14. Her events are the 400-meter individual medley, the 400-meter freestyle, the 200-meter freestyle, the 800-meter freestyle and the 200-meter butterfly. She believes her best chance is in the 400 IM, where she is currently ranked first in the U.S. and the world. “It is also on the first day of the trials and is the first race I swim, so I’ll be fresh,” she said. McLarty is confident and hopeful, but like Wambach, won’t talk about being a member of the team until it happens. “It would be amazing,” she said. “Nothing I’ve ever done as an athlete would match walking into the stadium during the opening ceremonies. It’s on its own level of amazement.”
McLarty, who started swimming at age four, says thoughts of possibly being at the Olympics started for her when she came to UF.
“Everybody dreams of something like this, but when I started college, I put together a plan for what I wanted to accomplish these four years. Everything happened faster than I anticipated.”
McLarty can only speculate about her feelings if she makes the team. “I can’t tell you what it will feel like afterwards,” she said. “I know that if I make the team and do well, I would take great pride. I also know I would make tons of great new friends, and have new teammates who have been competitors in the past. I would also learn from the experience because my long-term plan for the next 20 years is to be a triathlete and make more Olympic teams.”
As the July issue of Gainesville Today went into production, it was uncertain how many of the 49 Olympic hopefuls would make it to the Olympics because many countries, including the United States, had not yet held or completed their trials. If all of the Gator athletes were to make it, that would mean that 15 countries would have Gators among their Olympic contingents.
UF Athletic Director Jeremy Foley believes that there may be some other schools with numbers like that, but it takes a university that is committed to wide athletic representation.
The Olympics have always been a special time around here,” Foley said. “We have a great tradition of Olympic success. It’s always fun to watch the different trials, and see who makes the teams. When there are Gators there, it makes it that much more fun.”
Foley says that there have been occasions where a Gator representing another country is vying for Olympic gold against an American. He remembers when Anthony Nesty, who is now an assistant coach for the UF swimming team, was competing in the 100-meter butterfly for Suriname in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
“There was a great celebration around here when he won the Gold medal,” Foley said. “I can never really root against the U.S. but we always want the Gators to do well. If it turns out that the United States is second to a Gator, I guess that’s OK.”
Given the numbers, Foley and other Gator fans may be enjoying watching many fellow Gators participate in soccer, swimming, and other events in the upcoming Olympics. G
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