July 19, 2012
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BERKELEY -
A contingent of 10 swimmers, each a member of the Cal men's swimming family, will be competing at the 2012 London Olympics beginning July 28. Among those taking on the world in London are Nathan Adrian, who won the 100-meter freestyle at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, and Anthony Ervin, who after retiring from swimming in 2003, returned this season and placed second in the 50 free at the Olympic Trials.
Prior to the June 25 Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., Adrian was highlighted by the United States Olympic Committee in two feature videos shot at Cal's Spieker Aquatics Complex Adrian Feature One| Adrian Feature Two. Adrian went on to win the 100 free at the Olympic Trials Adrian's 100 free at Olympic Trials with a time of 48.10 and will also be swimming the 400 free and 400 medley relays for Team USA. Between his freshman and sophomore years at Cal, Adrian swam in the prelims of the United States' gold medal winning 400 free relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Ervin, who tied (with Gary Hall, Jr.) for the Olympic gold medal in the 50 free as a 19-year-old at the 2000 Olympics, will have a chance to win another gold 12 years later as he was second at the U.S. Olympic Trials' 50 free when he was edged out by Cullen Jones, 21.59 to 21.60.
Other Golden Bears swimming in London included Serbian Milorad Cavic (2003-06), who won the silver medal in the 100 butterfly at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, being out-touched at the wall by Team USA's Michael Phelps. Cavic will swim on his country's 400 free relay as well as the 100 fly.
Henrique Barbosa was a teammate of Cavic's under Cal head coach emeritus Nort Thornton from 2003-06 and will be competing in 200 breaststroke in London. Barbosa won NCAA titles in both the 100 and 200 breast as a senior for the Bears in 2006.
Another impressive Cal breaststroker competing in London will be Damir Dugonjic from Slovenia, who swam for coach David Durden from 2008-11 and was a three-time NCAA champion in the 100 breast.
Recent Bear graduates Mathias Gydesen, from Denmark, and Martin Liivamagi, from Estonia, will also be in London. Gydesen is set to compete in the 100 back and Liivamagi will swim the 100 breast and the 200 IM. Both Gydesen and Liivamagi were instrumental in Cal capturing back-to-back NCAA team titles in 2011 and 2012.
Dominik Meichtry, who swam for the Bears from 2005-08 and will be competing in his third Olympics for Switzerland, might be the busiest of any member of the Cal group. Meichtry will be competing in four individual events - the 100, 200 and 400 freestyle, and the 100 butterfly - during his time in London. He placed sixth in the 200 free at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
South African Graeme Moore, who swam for coach Durden from 2008-11 and is a member of every one of Cal's school record-setting relays, will be competing in his first Olympics, swimming the 100 free and the 400 free relay for his native country.
Finally, Cal sophomore Marcin Tarczynski, who was the 2012 NCAA champion in the 200 IM with a school-record 1:41.97, will be swimming the 100 back for his native Poland at the 2012 London Olympics.
Updated bios and features on Cal swimmers, as well as stories on other members of the Cal athletic family competing at the 2012 Olympics, will be available throughout the London games on Calbears.com 2012 Cal Olympic Page.
