The countdown to 08.08.08 has come and passed with the opening ceremonies of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing.
Twenty-nine current, former and future Auburn athletes will represent their respective nations in the world’s largest sporting event that runs from Aug. 8-24.
The 27 athletes and two coaches will represent 13 different countries, including Australia, the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Jamaica, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, United States and Zimbabwe.
Of the 29, 12 are track and field athletes, 15 are swimmers and two are coaches. Auburn track great and Alabama head coach Harvey Glance will serve as an assistant with the U.S. national team while Auburn assistant swimming coach and former Olympian Brett Hawke will coach on the Brazilian national team.
Two former Auburn athletes will be in action in the first full day of competition on Saturday. Zimbabwe native Kirsty Coventry is set to swim in the preliminary of the 400m individual medley, while American Mark Gangloff will compete in the preliminary of the 100m breaststroke.
For Coventry, a three-time Olympic medalist in 2004, it will mark her first time competing in the 400m IM at the Olympic level. Gangloff, however, is a veteran in his event and barely missed out on a medal in 2004 as he finished fourth with a time of 1:01.17.
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