Sports in Minnesota - Olympians From Minnesota

Olympians From Minnesota

The United States hockey team won the Olympic gold medal for ice hockey in 1980, coached by Minnesota native Herb Brooks. Eleven of the twenty players on the roster were from Minnesota. The team beat the long-dominant Soviet team in what has been called the Miracle on Ice, and went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland.

The 1960 United States hockey team won the Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Winter Olympics. Six of the 18 members of that team were from Minnesota. The team beat the Canadian ice hockey team in the final game to secure the gold medal.

A substantial number of players on the 1956 Olympic silver medal hockey team came from Minnesota.

Similarly, the majority of players on the 1972 Olympic silver medal hockey team came from Minnesota.

In the 2006 Winter Olympics, both the bronze medal U.S. men's and the women's curling teams came from the Bemidji Curling Club.

Bloomington native Tom Malchow won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in swimming.

Carrie Tollefson was on the 2004 Summer Olympic team as a distance runner and ranked 5th in 2006.

Minnesota was well represented in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Bejiing.

• Kara Goucher (b. July 9, 1978, Queens, New York) lived in Duluth and qualified for the 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter runs.
• Shani Marks (b. August 24, 1980, Bloomington, Illinois) lives in Brooklyn Park and qualified for the triple jump.
• Matt Schnobrich (b. November 12, 1978, Saint Paul, Minnesota) qualified for the bow seat of an eight-man row boat (see boat positions).
• Micah Boyd (b. April 6, 1982, Saint Paul, Minnesota) qualified for the eight-man row boat in rowing. He trained at the Minnesota Boat Club in Saint Paul.
• Ali Bernard (b. April 11, 1986, New Ulm, Minnesota) earned a bye in women's freestyle wrestling. She was the state female high school champion in 2004.
• Jake Deitchler (b. December 1, 1989, Mayville, North Dakota) lives in Anoka and qualified in men's Greco-Roman wrestling.
• Becky Holder (b. April 24, 1969, Fort Leonardwood, Missouri) lives in Mendota Heights and qualified for equestrian eventing.
• Sada Jacobson (b. February 14, 1983, Rochester, Minnesota) already had won the bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympic games in sabre fencing.
• Megan Kalmoe (b. August 21, 1983, Minneapolis, Minnesota) qualified for the women's double sculls rowing competition.
• Chris Reitsma (b. December 31, 1977, Minneapolis, Minnesota) was selected for the Canadian men's baseball team.