Olympians Archives - Mormon Olympians

Jessika Jenson finishes fifth place in Olympic freestyle snowboarding

Chelsea Forsyth — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 01:41:42 +0000

Jessika Jenson, from Idaho Falls, finished fifth place in the freestyle event in this year’s Olympic Winter Games. The event turned into a two-day event because the wind that commenced during the event was so strong. It was so bad that it caused problems for all the boarders.

It was a little saddening as all the women reported that the wind had messed up their routine. Jessika said to Deseret News, “I know that the girls had more tricks out there, but due to the conditions, we had to hold everything back a little bit. We’re all just having fun and doing the best we can. When the wind was a headwind, we just didn’t quite have the speed for the jumps,” Jenson said. “So we really had to get the feel for it and make sure it wasn’t a headwind. We tried our best.”

“The weather was bad and too dangerous,” said bronze medalist Enni Rukajarvi of Finland, “And I got a lot of wind on my run so that was bad. I had a fall and hurt my chin a little (on my first run) so that wasn’t too nice. … (The weather) was better in practice, but then it got really bad. They should have canceled it or moved it.”

The weather was bad enough that the games added another day to the events. They allowed the women to take the best score of the two days. The final was even pushed back an hour due to wind conditions.

At the end of all the competitions, Jamie Anderson from the U.S. came out on top with the gold medal with a score of 83.00. Silver medal winner was Laurie Blouin from Canada and Enni Rukajarvi from Finland took bronze.

Jessika Jenson finished fifth place. This last winter Olympics in 2014 was her first Olympic games. She came in 13th place in the Sochi games. In 2015, Jessika won third place in the World Cup Competition.

When Jessika was just 6, she started skiing at Kelly Canyon by Rigby Idaho. At the age of 10, she switched to snowboarding. Every weekend her family would go to the slopes. They would “pretend to know what we were doing…we eventually caught on,” she says. From there, her love for snowboarding began and her goals for the Olympics started. She grew up in Idaho with her Mormon family. Here she was taught the value of hard work.

Jessika has had a blast in this year’s Olympics. Even though the competition has been a little unpredictable, Jessika has competed well. There is so much support over on her Instagram from cheering fans. She is grateful for the support of her family, friends, and sponsors.

Despite the hard and unexpected crazy competition, the girls are proud of their accomplishments. Hailey Langland, another American snowboarder said, “The girls rallied, and we had a really good final. It’s hard to be up there knowing you might not finish your run just because of the wind, but I mean, that’s why those girls are on the top of the podium because they rallied and got it done.”

Brendan ‘Bubba’ Newby skis the halfpipe in mismatched skis

Chelsea Forsyth — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 17:00:13 +0000

As Brendan, Bubba, Newby stepped up to the halfpipe in mismatched skis, Bubba yelled at the top of his lungs, “It’s dinna time!”

Trying to stop the nerves from settling in, he tried to distract himself. In an interview with Deseret News, Bubba said, “The more you can distract your brain from thinking about it, from letting it get in your head (the better).”

For Tuesday’s Competition, Bubba wasn’t expecting that he would have to wear mismatched skis. He broke one of them on Mammoth Mountain earlier. Luckily, he brought another pair with him to South Korea. He wasn’t really sure why he felt he needed to. However, time soon showed him why he needed the extra pair. It was the first day of training and he broke one of the skis. Another competitor offered to let him borrow his. However, the bindings didn’t work.

He tells Deseret News, “It’s been unreal,” he said, wrapped in an Irish flag after finishing 22nd, 10 spots below the cut to qualify for the finals, with a first run score of 53.80. “For the rest of my life, I’m an Olympian. And it’s something I’ve wanted my entire life. So to have it actually happen, I can’t even put it into words.”

On Wednesday after his first run, he was one spot away from qualifying in the finals. However, Bubba is not upset by it. In the same interview, he said that he is just interested in improving his run. He set personal goals for himself and he was able to accomplish them. He is thrilled that he has had this experience and can say that he is an Olympian.

He didn’t start skiing with a coach until he was 14. He taught himself and watched YouTube up until then. However, his mom suggested that he should get a coach. He also said that his sport was never a sport until 2014. There was no one to look up to from the event growing up. However, this Olympics, he has achieved his personal goals and represents Ireland well.

When God Gives Out The Medals

Chelsea Forsyth — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 16:31:33 +0000

This article by John Tanner originally appeared in the BYU- Hawaii Journal

As I write this, the Rio Olympics are just opening. By coincidence, our student athletes also assembled today for the official opening of the Seasider season. I was asked to speak to them.

I decided to base my brief remarks on the inspiring life and words of the Olympic gold medal winner Eric Liddell, the Scottish sprinter who famously refused to run on Sunday in the 1924 Paris Olympics and so was disqualified for the 100, his best event, but still won gold in the 400 in a world-record time.

I asked our student athletes how many had heard of Eric Liddell through the movie Chariots of Fire. I was surprised that very few had. This is a shame! For not only is Chariots of Fire a great movie — one of my all-time favorites — but Liddell is a man whose life is worth remembering.

This summer I read a biography of Eric Liddell entitled For the Glory. It fills in the rest of the story after the Paris Olympics. It tells of his brave and selfless service as a missionary in China during the tumultuous, dangerous years leading up to World War II, and of his imprisonment and death in a Japanese prison camp in China during the war.

As an athlete Liddell was the fastest man of his generation, a gold medal winner. As a person, he was also as good as gold — a true saint, loved and admired by everyone in the camp for his good cheer, kindness, selflessness, faith, and courage. I have admired Liddell since first seeing the movie Chariots of Fire. Now, after reading his biography, he has become one of my heroes.

I shared some inspiring quotes from Liddell with our student athletes today. Let me share them with you.

Some of the quotes made it into the movie. For example, you may remember the scene in the rain where he tells a group of men:

“Where does the power come from to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, ‘Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me.’ If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race.”

You may also remember my favorite quote from the movie:

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run I feel his pleasure.”

Liddell ran for the glory of God. He used his fame to bring people to Christ. He said: “We are all missionaries. Wherever we go we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them from Christ.” I offered this as a reminder for our student athletes, who represent the school. It is a good reminder for us all.

Liddell knew that God’s purposes are manifested not only in victory but also in defeat. Said he:

“Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God’s plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. God’s love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love.”

Similarly, Liddell wrote:

“In the dust of defeat as well as the laurels of victory there is a glory to be found if one has done his best.”

Ultimately, the laurel Liddell most yearned for was the crown that God will bestow on those who, with Paul, faithfully finish the race we call mortality (see 2 Tim. 4:7). I love this quote from Liddell, which puts winning Olympic gold into an eternal perspective:

“It has been a wonderful experience to compete in the Olympic games and to bring home a gold medal. But since I have been a young lad, I have had my eyes on a different prize. You see, each one of us is in a greater race than any I have run in Paris, and this race ends when God gives out the medals.”

May each of us also have our eyes fixed on “a different prize” from any that will be given out in Rio. May we receive the gold that will be awarded “when God gives out the medals.”

-John Tanner

Jerica Tandiman credits her success to her LDS faith and family.

Chelsea Forsyth — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 18:00:36 +0000

Jerica started skating when she was 7. With the Olympic rink right behind her house, Jerica knew she wanted to go to the Olympics. Her parents would have her and her older sister go skate there every week. Her older sister was always interested in figure skating; however, Jerica saw girls speed skating and that’s what she fell in love with.

In an interview with Deseret News, she shares “I was kind of a tomboy, and I just wanted to compete,” she said. “I wanted to race people. I wanted to be the fastest.” She wasn’t all that concerned with twirling and spinning and jumping on the ice, she wanted to see how fast she could go.

Every day after school, she would race to get her homework done so that she could go to the rink faster. It was her favorite thing to do.

Her first race is on the 14th of February. She says in the Deseret News interview that she couldn’t have done it without the help of her family and the support of her faith in the Church. “It’s definitely part of who I am,” she said. “I think it’s helped me to have confidence in the things I do.”

Taken from teamusa.org

After long hard days of training, Jerica can always fall back on her family. “I think no matter what I do, it’s just a big part of who I am,” she said. “I think because it’s a big part of our beliefs that family is at the center of pretty much everything. That helps me a lot. I know that no matter what happens, no matter what I do, that my family is there for me, and that helps a lot when you’re in a sport, no matter what happens, there are people who love you and support you.”

Jerica also shares how every Church and LDS ward is a little bit of home for her. She feels comfortable going and when she’s homesick, it calms her sickness. “It’s helped me through a lot of hard times in training and skating,” she said. “Being an elite-level athlete, there are a lot more lows than highs, there are a lot of disappointments, setbacks and hard training. And having that religious background helped me to get through those hard times.”

Jerica has pushed past many trials and struggles to come to the Olympics this year. She is so excited to compete. Her family is so excited for her as well. Her father commented when they heard the news. They were flying back from the tryouts in Milwaukee when they got the news.

“We started getting these texts congratulating us,” he said. “We were saying, ‘Is this serious?’ We tried to call her, but she was busy with the team and couldn’t answer. But then she texted us, and it’s just amazing.” They are excited to see Jerica compete and to cheer her on tonight!

“I’m just going to go out there and race the best I can and be happy with the time,” she said. “I don’t have any really high expectations for myself. I want to improve and learn from the experience. A lot of the teammates I train with every day, this will be their second or third Olympics, so it’s cool to experience it with them.”

Mormon Medal Count for the Rio 2016 Paralympics

Katharine Lyon — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 16:41:25 +0000

Following the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games, another world sporting event takes center stage. The Rio 2016 Paralympics involve the same intensity, motivation, and skill needed in the original Games. With athletes that have fought their way through adversity and setbacks, the Paralympics feature athletes with disabilities, and a few are even Mormon.

Jason Smyth Wins Gold for Fifth Olympic Medal

Winning his third gold medal in the 100m T13 division sprint and fifth gold overall, Jason Symth, 29, defended his Olympic title from the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and the 2012 London Paralympics. Although he suffers from Stargardt disease and is considered legally blind, he never backed down from going for the gold.

In Beijing and London, Smyth also won a gold in the 200m sprint, which was not included in the Rio Games. He ran the the 100m race in 10.64 seconds, beating out Namibia’s Johannes Nambala for gold. Smyth is a member of the Belfast Northern Ireland Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jason Smyth won his fifth Olympic gold in Rio (via irishpost.co.uk).

Another Mormon competed in the 100m T13 sprint. Tyson Gunter from Pocatello, Idaho, came in seventh in the 100m T13 finals.

David Blair Wins Gold Medal, Sets World Record in Discus

David Blair, 40, who is from Eagle Mountain, Utah, won the gold medal and set a world record in the discus F43/F44 division with a 64.11m throw. Blair graduated from Weber State University.

David Blair poses next to his world record discus throw (via teamusa.org).

Josh Wheeler Wins Silver Medal in Wheelchair Rugby

Josh Wheeler, 36, won the silver medal with Team USA in wheelchair rugby after beating Australia. After a motorcycle accident broke his neck, Wheeler lost function of his lower body. However, he discovered a sport he loved a few years after his accident: wheelchair rugby. He is a member of the San Tan Valley Arizona Stake.

Josh Wheeler (left) fights for the ball in wheelchair rugby against Canada (via teamusa.org).

Todd Hodgetts Wins Bronze Medal in Shot Put

Competing in the F20 division for shot put, Todd Hodgetts won bronze with a 15.82-meter throw. Hodgetts, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 8, won the gold medal in the 2012 London Paralympics. The defending champion competes for Australia.

Todd Hodgetts won the bronze medal in shot put, following his gold medal in 2012 (via alchetron.com).

Other Mormon Paralympians

Margarita Foundez competed in the 1,500m T12/13 race for Chile. She came in third in her preliminary race, just missing the finals.

Brickell Bro finished seventh overall in the 400m freestyle swim in the S8 division. Bro also finished sixth in her preliminary heat of the 100m butterfly, and competed in the 50m and 100m freestyle.

Ann Yoshida from Hawaii finished fifth in her prelimary heat for the KL1 division paracanoe, and did not advance to the finals.

Julieta Olmedo, 26, competed on the Argentine wheelchair basketball team. After losing two preliminary games, they won against Brazil before losing to Great Britain. They finished ninth overall in the tournament.

Eric Bennett, 42, finished eighth overall in his individual recurve archery competition, after finishing fourth in the 2016 London Paralympics.

The Rio 2016 Paralympics will continue competition until the closing ceremonies on Sunday, September 18, 2016.

Read more from the original Deseret News article (and an updated article on Deseret News).

More Medals for Mormons: LDS Olympians After Week Two in Rio

Katharine Lyon — Sun, 21 Aug 2016 16:07:05 +0000

After a fantastic first week in the Rio 2016 Olympics, three LDS Olympians won medals in their events. At the conclusion of the Olympics, 2 more LDS Olympians won medals in Rio.

Sami Hill: Gold Medal in Women’s Water Polo, USA

Sami Hill, who is a 24-year-old UCLA graduate, is one of the U.S. women’s water polo goalies. After beating Hungary, China, and Spain, Team USA beat Brazil in the quarterfinals (13-3) and Hungary again (14-10) in the semifinals.

With only one game between them and the gold medal, the U.S. women’s water polo team competed against Italy in the finals on Friday, August 19. With a decisive victory (12-5), Sami Hill and Team USA won the gold medal. For the first time in Olympic water polo history, the U.S. won back-to-back gold medals from London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

Sami Hill (bottom row, third from right) and the rest of the women’s water polo team place their gold medals around their coach’s neck (via usatoday.com).

Taylor Sander: Men’s Volleyball, USA

After a disappointing loss to Italy in the semifinals, Taylor Sander and Team USA competed in a bronze medal showdown with Russia for the bronze in men’s volleyball. The U.S. men’s volleyball team lost to Italy (3-1) in a preliminary match, and continued on to defeat Brazil, France, Mexico, and Poland to make it to the semifinals against Italy. Following five sets of intense competition, Team USA failed to beat Italy once again, and competed in the finals Sunday, August 21, to fight for bronze.

In another nail-biting match, Team USA pulled ahead in the fifth set to beat Italy (3-2) for the bronze medal. In the gold medal match, Italy lost to host country Brazil to win silver.

Team USA celebrates after a point in the bronze medal match against Italy. Taylor Sander (far right) helped the men’s volleyball team win the bronze medal.

Other Mormon Olympian Updates

Bruna Soares: Women’s Soccer/Football, Brazil

Bruna Soares, who plays women’s soccer for Brazil, faced defeat against Canada in the bronze medal match. After a series of ties in the preliminaries matches, Brazil failed to qualify for the gold medal match against Germany when they tied Sweden (0-0) in the semifinals and lost in a penalty shootout. However, they had a chance for the bronze medal against Canada.

On Friday, August 19, Brazil fought against Canada for the bronze medal, but ultimately came up short and lost (2-1) to place fourth in the tournament. While the Brazilian women’s soccer team faced disappointment in the finals, Brazil’s men’s soccer won gold against Germany in their home country.

After a disappointing loss, Brazilian soccer player Bruna Soares comforts her teammate (via thestar.com).

John Nunn: 50km Race Walk, USA

After two weeks of training in Rio, race walker John Nunn competed in the men’s 50km walk on Friday, August 19. He completed the race in 43rd place with a time of 4:16:12, not even a minute after gold medalist Matej Tóth from Slovakia. Nunn enjoyed his time in Rio, documenting his travels and adventures on Twitter.

John Nunn competed in the 50km race walk (via teamusa.org).

Jared Ward: Men’s Marathon, USA

Like John Nunn, marathon runner Jared Ward trained for two weeks in Rio prior to his event. On the last morning of the Rio 2016 Olympics, Ward ran a marathon course through Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to finish in 6th place with a personal record of 2:11:30. He and the other marathon runners battled through rain, heat, and 90 percent humidity to finish the race in just over two hours.

Ward, who was roommates with Jared Nunn in the Olympic Village, also shared his experiences in Rio on social media.

Jared Ward (USA jersey, middle right) competes in the men’s marathon through the rain, heat, and humidity of RIo.

Starting on September 7, the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will feature other LDS athletes. Find more information about LDS Paralympians on LDS.net.

LDS Olympians in Week Two of Rio 2016 Olympics

Katharine Lyon — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 22:39:29 +0000

After a successful first week of the Olympics, three LDS Olympians won medals in their events. With more LDS Olympians currently competing, here’s a mid-week update of events and tweets from Mormon Olympians.

Taylor Sander: Men’s Volleyball, USA

When he’s not being made fun of for his mustache, Taylor Sander is a powerhouse on the U.S. men’s volleyball team. After a rocky start losing against Canada and Italy, Sander fought against his nerves to become an integral part of Team USA. “We feel good,” he said. “We’re more confident.”

“Well, we know what not to do,” Sander commented. “That experience of losing those first two matches helped us to grow.”

Looking better than ever, the U.S. men’s volleyball team will compete in the semifinals on Friday, August 19, at 10:00 a.m. (MT). If they win their semifinal match against Italy on Friday, the gold medal match will take place on Sunday, August 21, at 10:15 a.m. (MT).

Thanks for all the support! Heading to hang out with our families! Thanks @Uber @MChristenson5 @Kshoji7 @shojinator pic.twitter.com/SBclULnLBb

— Taylor Sander (@TaylorSander15) August 15, 2016

Sami Hill: Women’s Water Polo: USA

Sami Hill, a 24-year-old UCLA graduate, is a goalie for the U.S. women’s water polo team and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After decisively beating Hungary, China, and Spain, Team USA beat Brazil in the quarterfinals 13-3. On Wednesday, August 17, they beat Hungary 14-10 in the semifinals.

Only one game away from the gold medal, the U.S. women’s water polo team will compete in the finals on Friday, August 19, at 12:30 p.m. (MT). Whether they win or lose the final game, their final match against Italy will determine whether they win silver or gold.

https://twitter.com/samihillusa/status/766028252838100992

Bruna Soares: Women’s Soccer/Football, Brazil

Brazilian soccer player Bruna Soares competed with the women’s soccer team to beat Sweden and China in the preliminaries. After tying South Africa (0-0) in the preliminary pool, Brazil also tied Australia in the quarterfinals (0-0) and Sweden in the semifinals (0-0).

On Friday, August 19, at 10 a.m. (MT), Brazil will battle against Canada in the finals for the bronze medal.

Bruna Soares, a Brazilian soccer player, holds up a Book of Mormon (via osmormons.com).

Leilani Mitchell: Women’s Basketball, Australia

After a solid preliminary pool, Leilani Mitchell and the Australian women’s basketball team are at the top of their bracket. Winning against Belarus (74-66), Japan (92-86), France (89-71), and Turkey (61-56), Australia competed against Serbia in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, August 16. However, after losing to Serbia (73-71), the Australian women’s basketball team was eliminated from the competition bracket.

Leilani Mitchell plays basketball for Australia in the Rio 2016 Olympics (Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press).

Other Mormon Olympian Tweets

After winning silver, New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams tweeted her farewell to Rio.

https://twitter.com/ValerieAdams84/status/765909924195012608

Bronze medalist Sarah Robles, who competed for Team USA in weightlifting, shares hilarious photos on her Instagram.

In case you missed it, I was a last minute addition to the #usatf team. Bolt wasn't too happy about it. #superfastsarah

A photo posted by Sarah Robles (@roblympian) on Aug 16, 2016 at 6:43pm PDT

Two LDS Olympians are yet to compete: John Nunn will compete in the men’s 50km walk on Friday, August 19, at 5:00 a.m. (MT), and Jared Ward will run the men’s marathon on the last day of the Rio 2016 Olympics, Sunday, August 21, at 6:30 a.m. (MT).

Medals for Mormons: Mormon Olympian Updates After Week One

Katharine Lyon — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 13:54:32 +0000

15 August 2016

After the first week of competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mormon Olympians are competing all across the board. From medals to qualifying races, and from volleyball to shot put, here are where Mormon Olympians stand after week one of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Medals for Mormon Olympians

Valerie Adams: Silver Medal in Shot Put, New Zealand

Silver medalist Valerie Adams congratulates gold medal winner, Michelle Carter (Matt Dunham, Associated Press).

As the two-time reigning champion of Olympic shot put, Valerie Adams hoped to win her third gold medal in Rio. However, after an upset by U.S. shot putter Michelle Carter, Adams came in second to win the silver medal.

“It’s tough, but it’s sport,” Adams said in an interview with Deseret News. “It’s been a very tough road for me to even be here. And for me to make it here and make it to the final and get a medal is, um, pretty awesome. I’m going to try to enjoy the moment.”

Ashley Steacy: Bronze Medal in Rugby Sevens, Canada

Ashley Steacy (bottom row, third from right) poses with women’s rugby sevens team from Canada after winning bronze.

Ashey Steacy, of Lethbridge, Alberta, was on the women’s rugby sevens team for Canada. After beating Japan and Brazil, the Canadian rugby team lost to Great Britain before the quarterfinals. With a win against France, they reached the semifinals on August 8, where they lost to Australia. No longer able to qualify for gold or silver, the team beat Great Britain 33-10 for the bronze medal.

Sarah Robles: Bronze Medal in Weightlifting, USA

Sarah Robles joyfully accepts the bronze medal for women’s weightlifting (via deseretnews.com).

Legendary weightlifter Sarah Robles won bronze at her second Olympic Games in the women’s over 75kg weightlifting competition. In her London 2012 Olympic debut, she placed seventh overall. After winning bronze in Rio, she is now the first U.S. weightlifting champion to win a medal for the United States in 16 years.

Faith plays a part in her competition. Robles said, “I had a moment with my coach. We were reading scriptures together, and . . . it talked about using your faith as a foundation and using singing and dancing as a way to praise. And I’ve tried to view the platform as my spiritual foundation, and my lifts as singing and dancing and praising. I try to keep it in the right perspective and use my body to glorify my God.”

Robles competed on Sunday, August 14, in the women’s over 75kg weightlifting division.

Mormon Olympians Currently Competing

Taylor Sander: Men’s Volleyball, USA

Taylor Sander helps U.S. men’s volleyball team defeat Brazil (via deseretnews.com).

After an upsetting loss to Canada and Italy, Taylor Sander helped the U.S. men’s volleyball team make a come back in the preliminaries to defeat Brazil and France, putting themselves back in the running. Their next competition is another preliminary match against Mexico scheduled for Monday, August 15, at 8:35 a.m. (MT).

Sami Hill: Women’s Water Polo: USA

Sami Hill is a goalie for the U.S. women’s water polo team (via swimmingworldmagazine.com).

Sami Hill, a 24-year-old UCLA graduate, competes in the Rio 2016 Olympics as a water polo goalie for the U.S. women’s team. After decisively beating Hungary, China, and Spain, Team USA will face Brazil on Monday, August 15, at 3:20 p.m. (MT). The finals for women’s water polo will take place on Friday, August 19.

Bruna Beatriz Benites Soares: Women’s Soccer/Football, Brazil

Bruna Soares plays for the Brazilian soccer/football team.

The Brazilian soccer player, Bruna Soares, competed with the women’s soccer team to beat Sweden and China in the preliminaries. After tying South Africa (0-0) in the preliminary pool, Brazil also tied Australia in the quarterfinals (0-0).

On Tuesday, August 16, at 10 a.m. (MT), Brazil will face Sweden in the semifinals.

Leilani Mitchell: Women’s Basketball, Australia

Leilani Mitchell plays basketball for the Australian women’s basketball team (via abc.net.au).

After a solid preliminary pool, Leilani Mitchell and the Australian women’s basketball team are at the top of their bracket. Winning against Belarus (74-66), Japan (92-86), France (89-71), and Turkey (61-56), Australia will compete in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, August 16, at 7:15 p.m. (MT).

Completed Events for Mormon Olympians

Maka Unufe: 9th Place in Rugby Sevens: USA

Maka Unufe gets tackled in a rugby game against Brazil (via newsday.com).

With rugby events returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1924, Maka Unufe, a 24-year-old from Provo, Utah, was part of the U.S. rugby sevens team. In the preliminaries, the U.S. Rugby team lost to Argentina and Fiji, while beating Brazil in the semifinals. They beat Spain 24-12 to place ninth overall.

Lucía Palermo: Single Sculls Rowing: Argentina

Lucia Palermo is a single sculls rower for Argentina.

Lucía Palermo, an Argentine sculls rower, competed in qualifying races throughout week one of the Olympics. Ranking third in her semifinal heat, Palermo was able to finish in seventeenth place overall on Saturday, August 13.

Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson: Men’s Beach Volleyball, USA

Jake Gibb (left) and Casey Patterson (right) celebrate after a victory against Quatar (via latimes.com).

Although men’s beach volleyball players Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson fought well in their early preliminary game against Quatar, they were defeated by Austria and Spain in an unlucky turn of events on August 10, losing their chance to compete for the gold. “We fought,” Gibb said. “That’s what we do. That’s what this team does. That’s what we’ve done for four years together. We fight. And we gave it everything we have.”

While Gibb and Patterson are done competing in Rio, the remaining men’s beach volleyball teams will compete for gold on Thursday, August 18.

Patricia Taea: Women’s 100m Race, Cook Islands

Patricia Taea (second from left) competed in the 100m sprint for Cook Islands (Getty Images).

After qualifying in the second heat of the preliminary races, Patricia Taea was the second finisher in her heat. In the first round of qualifiers, Taea didn’t qualify, and she finished in 61st place. This was her second Olympic Games, following the London 2012 Olympics.

Lydia Casey Jele: Women’s 40m Race, Botswana

Lydia Jele ran the 400m race for Botswana.

Ranking 24th in the first round of qualifying races, Lydia Casey Jele from Botswana didn’t qualify for further rounds of racing. She ran the 400m race with a time of 52.42 seconds on Saturday, August 13.

Mormon Olympians Yet to Compete

John Nunn: Race Walking, USA

#TeamMeeting #athletesvillage #athletics #usatf pic.twitter.com/yrzWvoOFVc

— John Nunn (@johnnywalker04) August 11, 2016

Mormon Olympian John Nunn, 38, will compete in his third Olympics. After finishing 26th overall in the Athens 2004 Olympics and 42nd overall in the London 2012 Olympics, Nunn will participate in the men’s 50km walk.

Nunn will compete in the race walking event on Friday, August 19, at 5:00 a.m. (MT).

Jared Ward: Men’s Marathon, USA

I'm excited for this tonight…

A photo posted by Jared Ward (@jwardy21) on Aug 12, 2016 at 5:40pm PDT

Adjunct BYU statistics professor Jared Ward, 27, has been enjoying his time in Rio. Roommates with fellow Latter-day Saint John Nunn, Ward has enjoyed supporting other sports, including swimming, volleyball, and fencing.

Ward will run the men’s marathon on the last day of the Rio 2016 Olympics, Sunday, August 21, at 6:30 a.m. (MT).

Behind the Scenes of the Rio Olympics: LDS Olympians

Katharine Lyon — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 16:24:51 +0000

10 August 2016

While many LDS Olympians have started to compete in their events, many other LDS Olympians are currently in Rio training for their events next week, checking out other sports, and taking selfies with famous athletes. Luckily for viewers, these LDS Olympians are sharing a behind-the-scenes peek of what it’s like to train and live in Rio’s Olympic Village.

Taking Selfies with Other Athletes

https://twitter.com/MSkinner2016/status/761597692346822656

As an alternate for the U.S. gymnastics team, MyKayla Skinner found time to take selfies with the U.S. basketball team.

https://twitter.com/caseypatt/status/763123039701569541

Casey Patterson and Jake Gibb, who have started competing in qualifying rounds for men’s beach volleyball, take time to visit other athletes and watch other sports in their spare time.

Posing with the Team

https://www.instagram.com/p/BItX-gNgAyB/?taken-by=makaunufe

U.S. rugby player, Maka Unufe (right bottom), shared a picture of his rugby team.

Unforgettable night #Openingceremony #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/kHAb9jKkhU

— Micah Christenson (@MChristenson5) August 6, 2016

Taylor Sander (back row, second from right) shared a picture of the U.S. men’s volleyball team at the Opening Ceremonies in preparation for their second qualifying round game against Italy on Tuesday.

Supporting Other Sports

https://twitter.com/caseypatt/status/763080935155732480

Casey Patterson, U.S. men’s beach volleyball player, watched indoor volleyball and supported fellow LDS Olympian, Taylor Sander, in the match against Italy.

This is the craziest sport I have ever seen live!!! #Rio2016 #tabletennis pic.twitter.com/2OHzUxarUN

— John Nunn (@johnnywalker04) August 10, 2016

Race walker John Nunn, who competes for the U.S. next week, spends his spare time watching table tennis, women’s rugby, and women’s gymnastics.

Hanging at Women's Rugby medal matches w @jwardy21 #Rio2016 #OlympiansWatchinOlympians pic.twitter.com/lR3nUEaJGP

— John Nunn (@johnnywalker04) August 8, 2016

Roommates Jared Ward and John Nunn will both compete next week in Rio.

Training Facilities

The facilities are not short on televisions. Olympics 24/7 here

A photo posted by Sarah Robles (@roblympian) on Aug 9, 2016 at 12:36pm PDT

Weightlifter Sarah Robles shares a picture of the training facilities, which include televisions to watch other Olympic events.

What’s for Dinner?

Olympic update for @Lesdoggg – today after training we had ribs and chicken. Yo, u gotta get down here! #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/kqTvlwPSEn

— John Nunn (@johnnywalker04) August 9, 2016

John Nunn also shared a picture of the rib and chicken dinner at the Rio Olympic Village.

Look at That View

View of the Olympic Village from my bedroom window. Beautiful here. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/L2EeN7ZpTb

— Jared Ward (@jwardy21) August 8, 2016

Marathon runner Jared Ward, who will compete during Week 2, shares his view of Olympic Village.

Rio #TeamAdams has settled in and completed our first session. #excitingtimes #TeamAdams #RoadToRio #countdown pic.twitter.com/V3hgwxoWVR

— Valerie Adams (@ValerieAdams84) August 8, 2016

Valerie Adams, New Zealand shot putter, shares her eagle-eye shot of the Olympic Village. She is scheduled to compete on Friday, August 12.

Rio 2016 Olympics in Full Swing: Mormon Olympians Tweet and Compete

Katharine Lyon — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 22:22:23 +0000

August 8, 2016

With the Olympics already in full swing, athletes from all over the world are competing for gold. From rugby to volleyball, here’s how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are currently fairing in their respective events:

Taylor Sander: USA, Men’s Volleyball

In a lackluster qualifying game against the Canadian volleyball team, Team USA’s debut was plagued with errors, which led them to lose to Canada (25-23, 25-17, 25-23). “I don’t know if it was nerves or what,” Taylor Sander said about the first match, “but I’ll come back, watch some video and mentally prepare better.”

Canada won 28 points from Team USA’s errors, and Sander takes much of the blame. “I think my decision making wasn’t good attacking,” he said. “I thought I passed the ball well, but my decision making, it was my fault. I’ll learn from it and move on.”

However, Team USA has plenty of opportunities to improve their performance. Scheduled to play against Italy on Tuesday, August 9, Sander won’t let his disappointment negatively affect the next game. “It’s the first game of the Olympics, so it doesn’t feel great, but yeah, we have a good opportunity ahead of us, and a lot of games left in this pool. And that’s what we’re going to kind of turn our heads to now.”

Sander found fellow Brigham Young University athlete, Jared Ward, at the Opening Ceremonies. Ward, who will run in the Men’s Marathon event, will compete on Sunday, August 21, for the gold medal.

Good luck to fellow BYU Cougar @jwardy21 in Rio! Cool to run into him at opening ceremonies yesterday! pic.twitter.com/hf5BsMOI6l

— Taylor Sander (@TaylorSander15) August 6, 2016

Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson: USA, Men’s Beach Volleyball

On Saturday, August 6, Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson beat Quatar’s beach volleyball team (2-0), Jefferson Santos Pereira and Cherif Younousse. They are set to play Austria on Tuesday, August 9, at 1:30 (MT).

After the Opening Ceremonies, alternate Team USA gymnast and fellow Mormon, Mykayla Skinner, tweeted a hilarious picture of the beach volleyball athletes (Casey Patterson, left; Jake Gibb, right) with her and another gymnast alternate (Mykayla Skinner, left middle; Regan Smith, right middle).

(via Mykayla Skinner)

Maka Unufe: USA, Rugby Sevens

Maka Unufe attended the Opening Ceremonies, pictured second from the right on the back row. The U.S. rugby team will play against Argentina in a qualifying round on Tuesday, August 9, at 10:00 a.m. (MT).

(via Maka Unufe)

Valerie Adams: New Zealand, Shot Put

Valerie Adams, who traveled to Rio on August 7, will compete in the women’s shot put on Friday, August 12.

https://twitter.com/ValerieAdams84/status/762323979067543552

Leilani Mitchell: Australia, Women’s Basketball

After beating Brazil on the first day of play (84-66), Australia’s women’s basketball team went on to beat Turkey (61-56). With rounds of play still ahead of them, Australia will face France on Tuesday, August 9, at 9:15 a.m. (MT), Japan on Thursday, and Belarus on Saturday.

Jared Ward: USA, Men’s Marathon

Although he won’t be running his marathon until Sunday, August 21, at 6:30 a.m. (MT), Jared Ward (bottom right) will be in Rio training and living in the Olympic village. He enjoyed the Opening Ceremonies, and tweeted a picture with fellow Mormon athlete, John Nunn (top right).

Olympic village roommate @johnnywalker04 and the #nbcolympics film crew at the #OpeningCeremony What an experience. pic.twitter.com/xweagfv4N9

— Jared Ward (@jwardy21) August 6, 2016

John Nunn: USA, Race Walking

Meanwhile, race walker John Nunn tweeted a beautiful view of the Olympic Village in Rio at night. He and Jared Ward are roommates in the Olympic Village. Nunn will compete in the men’s 50km walk on Friday, August 19, at 5:00 a.m. (MT).

#goodnight from #Rio2016 @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/cYfVGpD65F

— John Nunn (@johnnywalker04) August 7, 2016

More LDS athletes will be competing in track and field events, like Lydia Casey Jele (Botswana) and Tatenda Tsumba (Zimbabwe), which will take place during week 2 of the Olympics. LDS weightlifter Sarah Robles will compete in the women’s weightlifting over 75kg category on Friday, August 12.

For a list of Mormon Olympians attending the Rio 2016 Olympics, visit LDS.net.