The state of Tennessee was well represented at last year’s Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Among the representatives from the Volunteer State competing in the Athens games were Shawn Marion, Clarksville native and member of the U.S. Men’s basketball team that captured the Bronze Medal; Jeff Powers, a Chattanooga native and member of the U.S. Water Polo Team; Ron Siler, Knoxville native and boxer who competed in the Flyweight Division; Daryl Szarenski, former Tennessee Tech shooter who participated in air and free pistol competition in his second Olympic games. In addition, several former Track and Field athletes from the University of Tennessee took part in the 2004 games. Hazel Clark and Jearl Miles-Clark, both from Knoxville, competed in the 800 meters. Hazel was returning for her second Olympics and Jearl competed in her fifth Olympics (believed to be one of only two women in U.S. track and field history to earn that many berths in the Games). Former Vol decathlon champion Tom Pappas returned for his second Olympic games. Pappas was honored last year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame as “Male Professional Athlete of the Year.” Anthony Famiglietti, also a former Volunteer, participated in his first Olympic 3,000 meter steeplechase. Joe Jacobi, now a resident of Ducktown, Tennessee near the Ocoee River, was the 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist in the two-man canoe event at the Barcelona Games. Voted the “Paddler of the Century” by Paddler Magazine, this was Jacobi’s second Olympic games.
