Day One of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Team USA did not disappoint, winning 5 medals- one gold, two silver and two bronze medals.
Local athletes competing did not disappoint either as they faced tough competition from other countries. Two local athletes took home medals, while others advanced to the next round. Here's how our local Olympic hopefuls fared on Saturday, July 28.
Event: Rowing
Local Results: There were four locals to watch for in this event- Sarah Zelenka, Megan Kalmoe, Grant James and Ross James.
Zelenka of Itasca, Ill. advanced with her partner Sarah Hendershot to the final round in the Women's Rowing Pair. The two were considered long-shots, but continued the momentum they built up during the Olympic trials and finished two seconds behind the favored Great Britain team to secure a spot in the Finals on Wednesday.
Kalmoe of St. Croix Falls, Wis. competed alongside teammates Adrienne Martelli, Kara Kohler and Natalie Dell in the Women's Quadruple Skulls. Though the team did not win their heat, they will have another chance for the final on Monday.
The James twins are one step closer to redemption in the Men's Eight event after they failed to qualify for the event during the Beijing games. They won their heat and will advance directly to the finals on Wednesday.
Event: Swimming
Local Results: Conor Dwyer, Peter Vanderkaay and Allison Schmitt all competed in medal events today.
Winnetka native Conor Dwyer was looking to bring home a medal in the 400-meter freestyle race, but just fell short during the finals. He placed fifth with a time of 3:46:39. Dwyer still has a chance to bring home a medal on Tuesday when he competes in the Men's 4x200- Meter Freestyle Relay qualification race.
Michigan swimmer Peter Vanderkaay swam his way to a bronze medal in the same event with a time of 3:44:69. He was just over 4 seconds behind Sun Yang of China, who took home the gold.
Allison Schmitt also took home a medal after her team placed third in the Women's 4x100-Meter Freestyle Relay. Schmitt and her teammates Missy Franklin, Jessica Hardy and Lia Neal finished with a time of 3:34:24, about a second behind the Australians who set an Olympic record and took home the gold in this event. Schmitt will compete again in the Women's 200-meter Freestyle race on Sunday and 400-meter Freestyle race Monday.
Event: Gymnastics
Local Results: Sam Milkulak of Ann Arbor, Michigan along with teammates Jake Dalton, Danell Levya, John Orozco and Jonathan Horton had a fantastic day. The Men's gymnastics team is currently in first place, outscoring gold medal favorite Japan, to take the first spot after two qualifying rounds. The U.S. has left some room for improvement in the team finals, but will now face the pressure of entering the medal round as the new dark horse favorite for gold.
Event: Women's Soccer
Local Results: Team USA beat Colombia 3-0 in Saturday's match. Locals Shannon Boxx, Lauren Cheney and Amy LePeilbet along with their teammates are another match closer in their quest to win a third straight gold medal in their event. The women will play again on Tuesday against North Korea.
Event: Women's Basketball
Local Results: After a shaky start, Team USA managed to pull away in the fourth quarter and beat Croatia 81-56 in their preliminary game. Locals Seimone Augustus, Swin Cash, Tamika Catchings, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Candace Parker and Lindsay Whalen will join with the team Sunday to face off against France. The women head into London looking to become the third team ever to win five consecutive gold medals.
Event: Shooting
Local Results: Daryl Szarenski competed in the Men's 10-meter Air Pistol, but did not qualify for the finals. This is his fourth Olympic Games and he has never earned a medal. Szarenski will get another chance to earn one when competes on August 5 in the Men's 50-meter Pistol.
Event: Tennis
Local Results: Chicago native Donald Young did not advance to the second round of the Men's Singles event. He lost his match against Italy's Andreas Seppi.
