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Michigan Sends 11 Athletes to the 2012 Olympics

Eleven Michiganders will be joining Team USA for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

 

The 2012 Olympics begin in London on July 27. Michigan will be sending 11 participants to join the 519 other members of Team USA to compete for gold and glory, according to the team roster provided by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Michigan's youngest athlete is gymnast Jordyn Wieber, who just turned 17. The state's eldest athlete is Daryl Szarenski at age 44. Six of the Michiganders are female and four are male.

Just five states will not be sending any athletes: New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina and West Virginia. California is sending the most athletes with 127, followed by New York with 35 and Texas with 32. 

Here's a list of the Michigan Olympic athletes so you can cheer them on!

Name Sex Hometown Age Sport Position/Event
Betsey Armstrong F Ann Arbor 29 Water Polo Goalkeeper
Tia Brooks F Grand Rapids 21 Track & Field
Shot Put
Desiree Davila F Rochester Hills 28 Track & Field Marathon
Geena Gall F Grand Blanc 25 Track & Field 800m
Tom Peszek M Farmington Hills 27 Rowing Men's Eight
Dathan Ritzenhein M Rockford 29 Track & Field 10,000m
Allison Schmitt F Canton 22 Swimming 400m free; 200m free; 400m free relay; 800m free relay
Claressa Shields F Flint 17 Boxing Welterweight
Daryl Szarenski M Saginaw 44 Shooting 10m Air Pistol
Peter Vanderkaay M Rochester 28 Swimming 400m free
Jordyn Wieber F DeWitt 17 Gymnastics Artistic

Check your local TV listings to see when each sport will be shown or replayed.

The Opening Ceremony will be held on Friday, July 27 at 9 p.m. in London, which is 4 p.m. EST. The Olympic Games will continue for about two weeks until the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. GMT/4 p.m. EST.

For more information, visit the official Team U.S.A. website or the official 2012 London Olympics website.

Editor's note: This article was updated to include Desiree Davila, who is listed by the U.S. Olympic Committee as being from California, but she now lives in Rochester Hills.

Related Topics: 2012 Olympics, Games, London Olympics, and Michigan Olympic Athletes
Do you know any of the athletes? Which sport are you most looking forward to watching? Tell us in the comments.

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