According to 5NewsOnline, the University of Arkansas had 12 current and former athletes competing in the Olympics in London that ended Sunday.  How many of the names do you recognize?

Veronica Campbell-Brown is a runner and a former Razorback.  She got a silver medal for Jamaica, which team she’s on, in the 4X100-meter relay.  Her team set a national record in that race.  She also won a bronze medal in the 100 meters.

Tyson Gay, also a U of A alumni, competing for America, also got a silver medal in the 4X100-meter relay.  It was the first time Gay ever won an Olympic medal.

Another runner, Wallace Spearmon, Jr. came in fourth place in the 200-meter race.  He’s a former Razorback and had his best time of the season at 19:90.  Spearmon was also in the Olympics in Beijing in 2008.

Raymond Higgs and Samuel Vazquez, both former Razorbacks, competed in the long jump and the 1,500 meters.  Higgs wound up in ninth place and 21st overall.  Vasquez finished 40th.

The other Olympic competitors from the U of A were Regina George, Kerri-Ann Mitchell, Marek Niit, Tina Sutej, Ivanique Kemp, Alistair Cragg, and Jeremy Scott.

Sure, none of these men or women won big gold medals in the hottest events, but the way I look at it is, if you can even GET on an Olympic team, you’re one heck of an athlete.  Sometimes we feel sorry when our favorites lose, and they are probably unhappy for a short time, but surely they’re proud just to be on the biggest sports stage in the world.

As always there was a lot of excitement to be had at the London Olympics.  And especially for us in America, because our teams won the most medals out of all the teams – 104.  Second place was China with 87, third place was Great Britain with 65.  It’s great that the “home team” did that well in front of their supporters.

Olympics are awesome.  So are all of our Arkansas athletes who made our state proud.

Nick & Ellie