Florida 2008 Olympic Medal Roundup

Floridians took home 32 medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, representing our state well! Here’s a rundown of our Olympic victories:

• Ryan Lochte of Daytona Beach was Flordia’s top medalist, with two gold medals in the 200m backstroke and 4x200m freestyle relay and two bronze medals in the 200m and 400m individual medley.
• Dana Torres of Parkland won three silver medals in swimming events (50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x200m freestyle relay).
• Sanya Richards of Fort Lauderdale won a gold and a bronze medal on the track in the 4x400m relay and 400m race.
• Walter Dix of Coral Springs won two bronze medals in the men’s 100 and 200 meter races.
• Nathan Adrian of Islamorada was a member of the gold-medal winning men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team.
• Paul Dalhausser of Orlando partnered with Todd Rogers to win the gold medal in men’s beach volleyball, while Misty May-Treanor of Coral Springs partnered with Kerry Walsh to take home the gold on the women’s beach volleyball team.
• Sylvia Fowles of Liberty City was a member of the gold medalist women’s basketball team.
• Vincent Hancock, born in Port Charlotte, won a gold medal in skeet shooting.
• Dwayne Wade of Miami and Dwight Howard of Orlando were members of the gold medal champion men’s basketball team.
• Laura Kraut of Wellington won a gold medal as a member of the jumping team.
• Heather Mitts of Miami was a member of the gold-medal women’s soccer team.
• Anna Tunnicliffe of Fort Lauderdale won a gold medal in Laser Radial sailing.
• Sisters Serena and Venus Williams of Palm Beach Gardens won the gold in women’s doubles tennis while brothers Mike and Bob Bryan of Wesley Chapel won the bronze medal in men’s doubles tennis.
• Kelly Kretschman of Indian Harbour Beach was a member of the silver medalist softball team.
• Zach Railey of Clearwater took home a silver medal in Finn sailing.
• Emily Silver, born in St. Petersburg, won a silver medal as a member of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team.
• Caroline Burckle of Gainesville earned the bronze as a member of the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team.
• John Gall of Miami and Matt LaPorta of Port Charlotte were members of the bronze-medalist men’s baseball team.
• Bershawn Jackson of Miami won the bronze in the 400m hurdles while David Oliver of Orlando took home the bronze in the 110m hurdles.

Photo of Venus and Serena Williams by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images