Five Cougars compete in Beijing Olympics

 PULLMAN — WSU will have one current and four former student-athletes competing at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 8-24.

 

There are three WSU alumni who will be competing for the USA in track and field. All their track and field competitions (known as Athletics) will take place in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest Stadium which seats 91,000 spectators and is the site of the Opening Ceremonies Aug. 8.

 

Bernard Lagat is the leading runner in both the men’s 1500m and 5000m races after winning both events at the 2008 Trials. Lagat (pronounced lah-got) was the 2007 World Champion in the 1500m and 5000m as well as two-time Olympian. Running for his native Kenya, Lagat won a Bronze medal in the 1500m at the 2000 Sydney Games, and won the Silver at the 2004 Athens Games. Lagat, who lives and trains in Tucson, Ariz., will compete in these Olympic Games as a United States citizen. The men’s 1500m first round will take place Friday, Aug. 15, the semifinal races will be Sunday, Aug. 17, and the final will be Tuesday, Aug. 19. The men’s 5000m race first round will be Wednesday, Aug. 20 with the final set to be run Saturday,  Aug. 23

 

Ian Waltz (pronounced eye-ann) leads the USA men’s discus squad after winning the Trials in July. He finished 22nd in the discus qualifying rounds at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Waltz was the 2005 and 2006 US champion. He is originally from Post Falls, Idaho, but now lives and trains in Chula Vista, Calif. He is engaged to USA pole vaulter Stacy Dragila, a two-time World Champion and Gold medal winner at the 2000 Sydney Games. The qualification rounds for the men’s discus will take place Saturday, Aug. 16, with the final set for Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Diana Pickler makes her Olympic debut in the women’s heptathlon after placing third in the USA Trials earlier this summer in Eugene. Pickler, from Sachse, Texas, has been training with Cougar Head Coach Rick Sloan in Pullman for the past 18 months. He is also headed to Beijing for the Games. Pickler is the first WSU woman graduate to compete at the Olympic Games as a member of the USA team. The women’s heptathlon will open the track and field competition Friday, Aug. 15. The heptathlon concludes Saturday, Aug. 16.

 

Anson Henry is a member of the Canadian track and field team and will be running in the men’s 100m dash and on the 4x100m relay team. He finished third in the 100m dash at the Canadian Olympic Trials, and was a member of the Canadian men’s 4x100m relay team at the 2004 Athens Games. The men’s 100m dash preliminary rounds will be run Friday, Aug. 15 with the semifinal races Saturday, Aug. 16.

 

The only Washington State University undergraduate competing at the Beijing Games is Rugile Mileisyte (pronounced rue-GEE-lay meal-ee-SHAY-tah), a swimmer on the Lithuanian Olympic team. Mileisyte, from Alytus, Lithuania, will be a sophomore this fall at WSU. She will swim in the 50-meters freestyle Aug. 15 at the National Aquatics Center.