After nearly three weeks overseas, the Kentucky athletes and coaches who represented Team USA at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games finally returned to Louisville International Airport on Saturday, Oct. 13. The 15 athletes and eight coaches returned to a hero's welcome and were greeted by a throng of family friends and media.
The welcome was appropriate given the tremendous success Kentucky athletes enjoyed during the course of the Games. Kentucky athletes won 14 medals at the Games and added nine more ribbons.
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The Special Olympics cauldron burns at the conclusion of the Opening Ceremonies. |
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The Kentucky basketball team shocked its division and captured the gold medal with two straight wins after losing their three preliminary games. Swimmer Kyle Gathof and gymnast Lee Dockins both won multiple Gold Medals, Gathof in the 100-meter freestyle and 4x50 meter Medley Relay and Dockins in the Vault and Floor Exercise.
Beyond the competitions, the athletes enjoyed a wealth of new experiences, from the basketball team spending time in Beijing, to the entire group's stay with host families. Trying new foods and seeing a new culture were also big events, as was riding out the remnants of a typhoon that struck China during the Games.
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| Aquatics |
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| Athlete |
Event |
Place |
| Kyle Gathof |
50-meter Freestyle |
4th |
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100-meter Freestyle |
Gold |
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4x50-meter Freestyle Relay |
Silver |
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4x50-meter Medley Relay |
Gold |
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| Megan McCormick |
50-meter Butterfly |
Silver |
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100-meter Freestyle |
5th |
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4x50-meter Freestyle Relay |
Bronze |
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| Athletics |
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| Matt Minning |
5,000-meter run |
Silver |
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10,000-meter run |
Silver |
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4x400-meter relay |
4th |
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| Basketball |
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| Marcie Blandford |
Team Competition |
Gold |
| Sheila Crowson |
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| Kay Gregory |
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| Jennifer Hamilton |
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| Kelly King |
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| Crystal Maston |
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| Taylor Thomas |
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| Mary Ann Wilcome |
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| Natalie Williams |
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| Bowling |
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| Andrew Browning |
Singles |
5th |
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Doubles |
5th |
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Team |
6th
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| Jessica Haggerty |
Singles |
Silver |
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Doubles |
Gold |
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Team |
Silver |
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| Gymnastics |
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| Lee Dockins |
All-Around |
4th |
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Balance Beam |
4th |
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Floor Exercise |
Gold |
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Uneven Bars |
Silver |
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Vault |
Gold |
For more information about Kentucky's participation in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, contact Trish Mazzoni at 800-633-7403 or via e-mail at tmazzoni@soky.org.
