Bios of some top international athletes

Inge de Bruijn

Country: Netherlands

Age: 30

Date of Birth: August 24, 1973

Hometown: Eindhoven, Netherlands

Sport: Swimming

Events: 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly, relays

Height: 5-9

Weight: 121 pounds

Coach: Paul Bergen

Club: PSV Eindhoven

Previous Olympics: 1992 (8th 50 freestyle, 9th 100 butterfly, 8th 400 medley relay); 2000 (1st 50 freestyle,

1st 100 freestyle, 1st 100 butterfly, 2nd 400 freestyle relay)

World Championships: 1991 (8th 100 butterfly, 10th 100 freestyle, 3rd 400 freestyle relay, 4th 400 medley relay),

1994 (7th 100 butterfly), 1998 (7th 100 butterfly, 8th 100 freestyle, 5th 400 freestyle relay, 6th 400 medley relay), 2001 (1st 50 freestyle, 1st 100 freestyle, 1st 50 butterfly), 2003 (1st 50 freestyle, 1st 50 butterfly)

Other Career highlights: 1991 European Championships (2nd 100 butterfly, 3rd 50 freestyle, 1st 400 freestyle relay, 3rd, 400 medley relay), 1993 European Championships (3rd 50 freestyle, 4th 100 butterfly, 12th 100 freestyle) 1995 European Championships (4th 50 freestyle, 4th 100 butterfly, 6th 400 freestyle relay), 1999 European Championships (1st 50 freestyle, 1st 100 butterfly, 2nd 100 freestyle, 4th 400 freestyle relay, 4th 400 medley relay)

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Roger Federer

Age: 22

Date of Birth: Aug. 8, 1981

Hometown: Basel, Switzerland

Current Residence: Overwil, Switzerland

Sport: Tennis

Event: Singles and Doubles (with Yves Allegro)

Previous Olympics: 2000 (4th, singles).

Ranking: 1st

Career highlights: Won three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments, including consecutive Wimbledon titles; replaced Andy Roddick atop rankings in February after winning Australian Open.

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Hicham El Guerrouj

Age: 29

Date of Birth: Sept. 14, 1974

Hometown: Berkane, Morocco

Current Residence: Rabat, Morocco

Sport: Track and field

Event: 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters

Height: 5-11

Weight: 134

Previous Olympics: 2000 - 2nd in 1,500, 1996 - 12th in 1,500.

World Championships: 2003 - 1st in 1,500, 2nd in 5,000; 2001 - 1st in 1,500; 1999 - 1st in 1,500; 1997 - 1st in 1,500; 1995 - 2nd in 1,500.

World ranking: 1st

Other career highlights: Charismatic "King of the Mile" set world record in 1,500 at 3:26.00 in Rome on July 14, 1998. Also holds world record in indoor mile, outdoor mile and 2,000 meters, but has no Olympic gold. He fell in a collision at Atlanta and was outsprinted at the finish by Noah Ngeny of Kenya in Sydney.

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Lauren Jackson

Age: 23

Date of Birth: May 11, 1981

Hometown: Albury, Australia

Current Residence: Canberra, Australia

Sport: Basketball

Position: Center

College: Lake Ginninderra College

Professional team: WNBA, Seattle Storm; WNBL, Canberra Capitals

Previous Olympics: 2000 (2nd)

Previous national team experience: FIBA World Cup (2003); World Championships ('98, '02); Junior World Championships ('97)

Career stats (through July 8): WNBA -- 18.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.3 bpg; WNBL -- 22.3 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 2.6 bpg

Career highlights: WNBL MVP ('99-'00, '03-04); WNBA MVP ('03); WNBA All-Star game ('01-'03); No. 1 overall draft pick in WNBA ('01).

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Svetlana Khorkina

Age: 25

Date of Birth: Jan. 19, 1979

Hometown: Belgorod, Russia

Current Residence: Belgorod, Russia

Sport: Gymnastics

Height: 5-4

Coach: Boris Pilkin

Club/team: Trade Union

Previous Olympics: 2000 - 1st, uneven bars; 2nd, team, floor; 1996 - 1st, uneven bars; 2nd, team.

World Championships: 2003 - 1st, all-around. 2002 - 4th, balance beam; 7th, uneven bars; 2001 - 1st, all-around, uneven bars, vault; 2nd, team; 3rd, floor. 1999 - 1st, uneven bars; 2nd, team; 3rd, floor; 12th, all-around. 1997 - 1st, all-around, uneven bars; 2nd, team, balance beam, floor, 8th, vault. 1996 - 1st, uneven bars; 5th, vault. 1995 - 1st, uneven bars; 2nd, all-around, 5th, vault. 1994 - 2nd, vault, uneven bars; 3rd, team; 8th, floor.

Other career highlights: Won six-straight uneven bar titles at European Championships, and is a three-time European all-around champion.

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Tian Liang

Country: China

Age: 24

Date of Birth: August 26, 1979

Hometown: Chong Qing, China

Sport: Diving

Events: platform, platform synchronized

Height: 5-7

Weight: 132 pounds

Coach: Zhang Ting

Club: Shaan Xi

Previous Olympics: 1996 (4th platform), 2000 (1st platform, 2nd synchronized platform)

World Championships: 1998 (2nd platform, 1st synchronized platform), 2001 (1st platform, 1st synchronized platform), 2003 (3rd platform, 3rd synchronized platform)

Other Career highlights: 1998 Asian Games (1st platform), 1999 FINA Diving World Cup (1st platform, 1st synchronized platform), 2000 FINA Diving World Cup (1st platform, 1st synchronized platform), 2004 FINA Diving World Cup (1st platform, 1st synchronized platform)

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Ian Thorpe

Country: Australia

Age: 21

Date of Birth: October 13, 1982

Hometown: Sydney, Australia

Sport: Swimming

Events: 100-meter freestyle, 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, relays

Height: 6-5

Weight: 212 pounds

Coach: Tracey Menzies

Club: SLC Aquadot

Previous Olympics: 2000 (1st 400 freestyle, 2nd 200 frestyle, 1st 400 freestyle relay, 1st 800 freestyle relay)

World Championships: 1998 (1st 400 freestyle, 1st 800 freestyle relay); 2001 (1st 200 freestyle, 1st 400 freestyle, 1st 800 freestyle, 4th 100 freestyle, 1st 400 freestyle relay, 1st 800 freestyle relay, 1st 400 medley relay); 2003 (1st 200 freestyle, 1st 400 freestyle, 2nd 200 individual medley, 3rd 100 freestyle, 1st 800 freestyle relay, 4th 400 freestyle relay).

Australian Olympic trials: 2004 (1st 100 freestyle, 1st 200 freestyle, disqualified 400 freestyle but invited to Olympics by Australian team)

Other Career highlights: 1997 Pan Pacific Games (2nd 400 freestyle); 1998 Commonwealth Games (1st 200 freestyle, 1st 400 freestyle, 1st 800 freestyle relay, 1st 400 freestyle relay); 2002 Pan Pacific Games (1st 100 freestyle, 1st 200 freestyle, 1st 400 freestyle, 1st 400 freestyle relay, 1st 800 freestyle relay, 2nd 400 medley relay); 2002 Commonwealth Games (1st 100 freestyle, 1st 200 freestyle, 1st 400 freestyle, 2nd 100 backstroke)