July 16, 2010

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced today its team members for competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, which begins with the Opening Ceremony on Aug. 14. The U.S. Team will include 82athletes competing in 18 sports, the maximum number of qualified U.S. athletes.

The Youth Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event held in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee that will take place every four years consistent with the current format of the Olympic Games. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will run from Aug. 14-26, 2010, with an expected 3,600 athletes from 205 countries participating. The sport program will encompass all 26 sports that will be featured at the 2012 Olympic Games.

"As a triathlete I love to compete and the Youth Olympic Games gives me a chance to face-off against the best triathletes in the world," said Kevin McDowell (Geneva, Ill.). "Also, not only will we get to race, but we will get to live together in the Olympic Village, and I am really looking forward to getting to know athletes from around the world."

Each National Olympic Committee may send up to 70 athletes in individual sports, should they qualify, as well as one girls team and one boys team. Basketball will be competed as 3-on-3 at the Youth Olympic Games, and for team quotas, is considered an individual sport.

In all, the U.S. Team will consist of athletes in 18 sports: aquatics (swimming and diving), archery, badminton, basketball, boxing, equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, judo, modern pentathlon, sailing, table tennis, taekwondo, track & field, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.

"It feels good to be one of the first U.S. gymnasts to compete in the Youth Olympic Games," said Polina Kozitskiy (Fountainville, Pa.), a rhythmic gymnast who is the youngest competitor for Team USA. "It is a big honor and also a big responsibility. I am looking forward to meeting the other athletes, working hard, and doing my best in Singapore."

Fun facts about the 2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Team

· States represented: 27 states are represented by the U.S. Team, as well as the District of Columbia. Leading the way are athletes from California (16), Texas (8) and Illinois (7). See the accompanying attachment for full list.

· Oldest athlete: Zenas Lam, badminton, is 18 years and 6 months

· Youngest athlete: Polina Kozitskiy, rhythmic gymnastics, is 14 years and 7 months

· Tallest females: Amber Henson, basketball; and Madison Mahaffey, volleyball; at 6'4"

· Shortest females: Katelyn Bouyssou, judo; and Annika Lenz, diving; at 5'1"

· Tallest male: K.C. Caudill, basketball, at 6'11"

· Shortest male: Gregory English, taekwondo, at 5'3"

· Birthdays: Three U.S. athletes will celebrate their 17th birthday during the Games, including Christina Higgins, volleyball, Aug. 15; Olivia Okoro, volleyball, Aug. 18; and Daniel Wong, track & field, Aug. 19.

The 2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Team roster may still be adjusted due to injury, illness or exceptional circumstances.

Attached is the full roster of U.S. athletes who have been entered for competition at the 2010 Youth Games in Singapore, sorted by sport and by state (by the athlete's recognized hometown). Below is a summarized list.

2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Team Roster

Archery
Miranda Leek (Des Moines, Iowa)
Benjamin Chu (Floral Park, N.Y.)

Badminton
Cee Ketpura (Orange, Calif.)
Zenas Lam (Mountain View, Calif.)

Basketball
Girls Team
Briyona Canty (Willingboro, N.J.)
Andraya Carter (Conyers, Ga.)
Amber Henson (Odessa, Fla.)
Kiah Stokes (Marion, Iowa)

Boys Team
K.C. Caudill (Brea, Calif.)
Angelo Chol (San Diego, Calif.)
Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.)
L.J. Rose (Houston, Texas)

Boxing
Joshua Temple (St. Louis, Mo.)

Diving
Annika Lenz, (Altadena, Calif.)
Michael Hixon, (Amherst, Mass.)

Equestrian
Eirin Bruheim (Houston, Texas)

Fencing
Katharine Holmes (Washington, D.C.)
Mona Shaito (Garland, Texas)
Alexander Massialas (San Francisco, Calif.)
Celina Merza (Wayne, N.J.)
Will Spear (Wynantskill, N.Y.)

Gymnastics
Jesse Glen (Northridge, Calif.)
Polina Kozitskiy (Fountainville, Pa.)
Savannah Vinsant (Lafayette, La.)
Hunter Brewster (Lafayette, La.)

Judo
Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I.)
Max Schneider (Chicago, Ill.)

Modern Pentathlon
Anna Olesinski (Roswell, N.M.)
Nathan Schrimsher (Roswell, N.M.)

Sailing
Margot Samson (Belleair, Fla.)
Ian Stokes (Norfolk, Va.)

Swimming
Austin Ringquist (Hillsboro, Ore.)
Erich Peske (Monte Sereno, Calif.)
Steve Schmuhl (Broomfield, Colo.)
Thomas Stephens (Richmond, Va.)
Allie Roberts (Emmaus, Pa.)
Jordan Mattern (Centennial, Colo.)
Kiera Janzen (White Bear Lake, Minn.)
Kaitlyn Jones (Newark, Del.)

Table Tennis
Ariel Hsing (San Jose, Calif.)

Taekwondo
Jessie Bates (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Michelle Silva (Chicago, Ill.)
Greagory English (Chicago, Ill.)

Track & Field
Shelby Ashe (Stone Mountain, Ga.)
Amber Bryant-Brock (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Hannah Carson (Chandler, Ariz.)
Olivia Ekpone (Germantown, Md.)
Claudia Francis (Laurelton, N.Y.)
Hadley Hancock (Leesburg, Ga.)
Sarah Howard (Dublin, Ga.)
Myasia Jacobs (Paterson, N.J.)
Le'Tristan Pledger (Kansas City, Kan.)
Robin Reynolds (Miami, Fla.)
Sarah Tolson (Pawhuska, Okla).
Trinity Wilson (Oakland, Calif.)
Devin Bogert (Tomball, Texas)
Gregory Coleman (San Antonio, Texas)
Najee Glass (Woodbridge, N.J.)
Gunnar Nixon (Edmond, Okla.)
Brandon Sanders (Columbia, S.C.)
Tyler Sorenson (Lafayette, Calif.)
Reese Watson (Spring, Texas)
Daniel Wong (Tucson, Ariz.)

Triathlon
Kevin McDowell (Geneva, Ill.)
Kelly Whitley (Geneva, Ill.)

Volleyball
Samantha Cash (San Diego, Calif.)
Crystal Graff (Madison, Wis.)
Micha Hancock (Edmond, Okla.)
Jade Hayes (Springfield, Mo.)
Christina Higgins (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Madison Kamp (Orland Park, Ill.)
Madison Mahaffey (Vestavia Hills, Ala.)
Liz McMahon (Liberty Township, Ill.)
Katie Mitchell (The Woodlands, Texas)
Tiffany Morales (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
Olivia Okoro (Carrollton, Texas)
Taylor Simpson (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Weightlifting
Jessica Beed (Norman, Okla.)

Wrestling
Jenna Burkett (Middle Island, N.Y.)
Quinton Murphy (Holley, N.Y.)
Jordan Rogers (Spokane, Wash.)
Luke Sheridan (Concord, Calif.)

For more information, please contact the USOC Communications Division at (719) 866-4529 or visit www.teamusa.org. Follow us on Twitterand Facebook.
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