Bios of some top U.S. athletes in Athens

Ian Crocker

Age: 21

Date of Birth: Aug. 31, 1982

Hometown: Portland, Maine

Current Residence: Austin, Texas

Sport: Swimming

Event: 100-meter freestyle, 100 butterfly, 400 free relay.

Height: 6-4

Weight: 185

College: Texas

Club: Longhorn Aquatics

Coach: Eddie Reese

Previous Olympics: 2000 - 1st in 400 medley relay, 4th in 100 butterfly.

World Championships: 2003 - 2nd in 50 butterfly, 1st in 100 butterfly, 1st in 400 medley relay.

National Championships: 2002 - 2nd in 100 butterfly; 2000 Spring - 1st in 100 fly.

World ranking: 8th in 100 freestyle, 49.06; 1st in 100 butterfly, 50.76.

Other career highlights: 2004 NCAA swimmer of the year after winning both 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly in world record times.

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Gail Devers

Age: 37

Date of Birth: Nov. 19, 1966

Hometown: Seattle

Current Residence: Duluth, Ga.

Sport: Track and field

Event: 100-meter hurdles

Height: 5-3

Weight: 121

College: UCLA

Coach: Self

Club/team: Nike

Previous Olympics: 2000 -- pulled up in hurdles semis with hamstring injury; 1996 -- gold in 100, 4th in hurdles; 1992 -- gold in 100, 5th in hurdles; 1988 -- 8th in hurdles semis.

World Championships: 2003 -- third in hurdles semifinal; 2001 _ silver in hurdles; 1999 -- gold in hurdles, 400 relay; 1997 -- 400 relay gold; 1995 -- gold in hurdles; 1993 -- gold in 100 and hurdles, silver in 400 relay; 1991 -- silver in hurdles.

National Championships: 2003 -- winner in hurdles; 2002 -- champ in hurdles; 2001 -- champ in hurdles; 2000 -- champ in hurdles, fifth in 100; 1999 -- champ in hurdles, second in 100; 1998 -- did not compete; 1997 -- did not compete in 100 final; 1996 -- won hurdles, second in 100 in trials; 1995 -- won hurdles; 1994 -- won 100; 1993 _ won 100, second in hurdles; 1992 -- won hurdles, second in 100 at trials; 1991 -- won hurdles; 1988 -- second in hurdles; 1997 -- firth in 100; 1986 -- fifth in 100.

2004 Qualifying: first in hurdles, fourth in 100

National/world rank: 1/2

Other Career highlights: In 2004, Devers became the first American athlete to win the 60 and 60 hurdles at the U.S. Indoors. ... Won nine Pac-10 titles in two years. ... Did not compete from 1988-91 because of Graves Disease, in which she almost lost her feet. ... Regarded as the greatest sprinter/hurdler of all-time. ... Devers lost her No. 1 world ranking in early July for the first time in 122 weeks to Perdita Felicien of Canada.

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Stacy Dragila

Age: 33

Date of Birth: March 25, 1971

Hometown: Auburn, Calif.

Current Residence: Phoenix

Sport: Track and field

Event: pole vault

Height: 5-7

Weight: 140

College: Yuba CC, Idaho State

Coach: Greg Hull

Club/team: Nike

Previous Olympics: 2000 -- gold

World Championships: 2003 -- fourth; 2001 -- champion; 1999 _ champion.

National Championships: 2003 -- champion; 2002 -- champion; 2001 _ champion; 2000 -- champion; 1999 -- champion; 1998 -- second; 1997 _ champion; 1996 -- champion.

2004 Qualifying: champion

National/world rank: 1/3

Other Career highlights: Former world record holder; 2001 Goodwill Games and IAAF Grand Prix Final champion; two-time Jesse Owens Award winner (2000, 2001); Won first ever women's Olympic pole vault in 2000.

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Tim Duncan

Age: 28

Date of Birth: April 25, 1976

Hometown: St. Croix, Virgin Islands

Current Residence: San Antonio

Sport: Basketball

Position: Forward

College: Wake Forest

Professional team: San Antonio Spurs

Previous Olympics: Named to 2000 team, but withdraw with knee injury.

Previous national team experience: Olympic qualifying tournament ('99, '03); Under-22 World championship qualifying team ('96); World University Games ('95); Goodwill Games ('94).

Career stats: 22.8 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 2.53 bpg.

Career highlights: NBA MVP ('02-'03); NBA Finals MVP ('99, '03); NBA Rookie of the Year ('98).

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Lisa Fernandez

Age: 33

Date of Birth: February 22, 1971

Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.

Current Residence: Long Beach, Calif.

Sport: Softball

Position: Pitcher/third base

Height: 5-6

College: UCLA

Previous Olympics: 1996 Athens Games; 2000 Sydney Games.

Previous national team experience: 1990 World Championships; 1991 Pan American Games; 1994 World Championships; 1998 World Chanmpionships; 1999 Pan American Games; 2002 World Championships; 2003 Pan Am Games.

Career highlights: Regarded as world's best all-around player; nine-time gold medal winner in international competition; pitched in every significant gold medal game in recent U.S. history; struck out Olympic single-game record 25 in 2000 games against Australia.

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Rulon Gardner

Age: 32

Date of Birth: Aug. 16, 1971

Hometown: Afton, Wyo.

Current Residence: Cascade, Colo.

Sport: Greco-Roman Wrestling

Event: 2641/2 pounds (120 kg)

College: Nebraska

Previous Olympics: 2000 (1st)

World Championships: 2003 (10th); 2001 (1st); 1997 (5th)

National Championships: 2004 (2nd); 2003 (3rd); 2001 (1st); 2000 (1st); 1999 (2nd); 1998 (2nd); 1997 (1st); 1996 (3rd); 1995 (1st); 1994 (2nd)

Career highlights: First American Greco-Roman wrestler to win Olympics and World Championships; only wrestler to defeat three-time Olympic champion Alexander Karelin in international competition; 2000 Sullivan Award winner and USOC Sportsman of the Year; 1994 Pan American Games champion in freestyle wrestling before switching to Greco-Roman.

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Morgan Hamm

Age: 21

Date of Birth: Sept. 24, 1982

Hometown: Waukesha, Wis.

Current Residence: Columbus, Ohio.

Sport: Gymnastics.

Height: 5-6

Coach: Miles Avery.

Club/team: Team Chevron, Ohio State.

Olympics: 2000 - 5th, team; 7th, floor exercise.

World Championships: 2003 - 2nd, team.

Other career highlights: 2004 - 5th, American Cup. 1999 - 1st, all-around, U.S. Gymnastics Championships, junior division.

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Paul Hamm

Age: 21

Date of Birth: Sept. 24, 1982

Hometown: Waukesha, Wisc.

Current Residence: Columbus, Ohio.

Sport: Gymnastics.

Height: 5-6

Coach: Miles Avery.

Club/team: Team Chevron, Ohio State.

Previous Olympics: 2000 - 5th, team; 14th, all-around.

World Championships: 2003 - 1st, all-around, floor; 2nd, team. 2002 - 3rd, floor exercise; 2001 - 2nd, team; 7th, all-around.

Other career highlights: Three-time U.S. champion. 2004 - 1st, Visa American Cup.

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Mia Hamm

Age: 32

Date of Birth: March 17, 1972

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Current Residence: Austin, Texas

Sport: Soccer

Position: Forward

College: North Carolina

Professional team: Washington Freedom (2001-03)

Previous Olympics: 2000 (2nd); 1996 (1st)

Previous national team experience: 258 caps (as of July 15); first appearance Aug. 3, 1987

Career national team stats (as of July 15): 149 goals, 131 assists

Career highlights: All-time world leader, among men and women, in both goals and assists in international play; played in '91, '95, '99 and '03 World Cups; has scored eight goals in World Cup play, three in Olympics; youngest player to play for U.S. team, debuting at age 15.

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Marion Jones

Age: 28

Date of Birth: Oct. 12, 1975

Hometown: Los Angeles

Current Residence: Chapel Hill, N.C.

Sport: Track and field

Event: long jump

Height: 5-11

Weight: 150

College: North Carolina

Coach: Dan Pfaff

Club/team: Nike

Previous Olympics: 2000 -- gold in 100, 200, 1,600 relay; bronze in long jump, 400 relay.

World Championships: 2001 -- winner in 200, 400 relay; second in 100. 1999 -- winner in 100, bronze in long jump, DNF 200 semis. 1997 _ winner 100, 400 relay; 10th in long jump.

National Championships: 2002 -- winner in 100, 200; 2001 -- winner in 200; 2000 -- winner in 100, 200, long jump at trials; 1999 -- won 200, second in long jump; 1998 -- won 100, 200, long jump; 1997 _ won 100, long jump; 1995 -- 11th in long jump.

2004 Qualifying: winner in long jump; fifth in 100; DNS 200 semis.

National/world rank: 1/3

Other Career highlights: In 2002, Jones earned a share of the IAAF Golden League jackpot for the third time in her career (1998, 2001) for her seven circuit wins in the 100. ... Ended 2002 undefeated for the first time in her career, flawless with 16 wins in the 100, four in the 200 and one in the 400. ... Became first female track and field athlete to win five medals in the Olympics in 2000. ... as a point guard, helped North Carolina basketball to NCAA title in her first year. ... 2001 Goodwill Games champion in 100. ... Took 2003 off to have a baby.

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Lisa Leslie

Age: 32

Date of Birth: July 7, 1972

Hometown: Hawthorne, Calif.

Current Residence: Los Angeles

Sport: Basketball

Position: Center

College: Southern Cal

Professional team: Los Angeles Sparks

Previous Olympics: 2000 (1st); 1996 (1st)

Previous national team experience: World Championships ('94, '98, '02); U.S. Olympic Cup ('99); Goodwill Games ('94); World Championships qualifying ('93); R. William Jones Cup ('92); World University Games ('91).

Career stats (through July 8): 17.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.3 bpg

Career highlights: WNBA championship MVP ('01-'02); WNBA All-Star game ('99-'03); All-Star game MVP ('99, '01-'02).

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Steven Lopez

Age: 25

Date of Birth: Nov. 9, 1978

Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas

Current Residence: Sugar Land, Texas

Sport: Taekwondo

Weight Class: Olympic welterweight (80 kg)

Height: 6-2

Weight: 80 kg (176.37 pounds)

Coach: Jean Lopez

Previous Olympics: 2000 - 1st in Olympic featherweight (68 kg) weight class.

World Championships: 2003 - 1st in lightweight (72 kg); 2001 - 1st in lightweight (72 kg).

National Championships: 1996 - 1st in featherweight (67 kg); 1995 - 2nd in flyweight (58 kg); 1994 - 2nd in finweight (54 kg).

2004 Qualifying: Defeated Tony Graf 4-0 in the final at the U.S. taekwondo trials.

Other career highlights: 2003 - 1st in 80 kg at Pan American Games. 2002 - 3rd in lightweight (72 kg) at World Cup Championships. 1999 - 1st in 68 kg at Pan Am Games. 1998 - 1st in featherweight (67 kg) at Pan Am Taekwondo Championships; 3rd in featherweight (67 kg) at World Cup Championships. 1997 - 1st in featherweight (67 kg) at World Cup Championships. 1996 - 1st in featherweight (67 kg) at Pan American Taekwondo Championships. 1994 - 3rd in finweight (under 54 kg) at World Cup Championships.

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Courtney McCool

Age: 16

Date of Birth: April 1, 1988

Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.

Current Residence: Lees Summit, Mo.

Sport: Gymnastics

Height: 4-9

Coach: Al Fong and Armine Barutyan Fong

Club/team: Great American Gymnastics Express

Other career highlights: 2004 - 1st, all-around; 2nd, vault; 3rd, uneven bars, Athens Test Event. 2004 - 2nd, all-around, American Cup. 2004 - 2nd, all-around, Olympic trials. 2003 - 1st, team; 2nd, vault, Pan American Games.

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Carly Patterson

Age: 16

Date of Birth: Feb. 4, 1988

Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.

Current Residence: Allen, Texas

Sport: Gymnastics

Height: 5-0

Coach: Evgeny Marchenko

Club/team: World Olympic Gymastics Academy

World Championships: 2003 - 1st, team; 2nd, all-around

Other career highlights: 2004 - 1st, all-around (tie), floor exercise; 2nd, balance beam, U.S. championships. 2004 - 1st, all-around, vault, uneven bars, floor, balance beam, American Cup. 2003 - 1st, all-around, beam; 2nd, vault, uneven bars; 3rd, floor, American Cup.

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Michael Phelps

Age: 19

Date of Birth: June 30, 1985

Hometown: Baltimore

Sport: Swimming

Events: 200-meter freestyle, 400 individual medley, 800 free relay, 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly.

Height: 6-4

Weight: 195

Coach: Bob Bowman

Club: North Baltimore

Previous Olympics: 2000 - 5th in 200 butterfly.

World Championships: 2003 - 2nd in 100 butterfly, 1st in 200 butterfly, 1st in 200 IM, 1st in 400 IM, 2nd in 800 free relay, 1st in 400 medley relay; 2001 - 1st in 200 butterfly.

National Championships: 2004 - 1st in 100 free, 1st in 200 free, 1st in 200 back, 1st in 100 fly, 1st in 200 IM.

World ranking: 3rd in 200 freestyle, 1:46.27; 2nd in 100 butterfly, 51.15; 1st in 200 butterfly, 1:54.31; 1st in 200 IM, 1:56.71; 1st in 400 IM, 4:08.41.

Other career highlights: 2003 Sullivan Award winner as nation's top amateur athlete; only swimmer ever to break five individual world records at a world championships; youngest man to break a world record, lowering 200 butterfly mark at 2001 U.S. nationals at age of 15 years, nine months.

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Felix Sanchez

Age: 26

Date of Birth: Aug. 30, 1977

Hometown: New York

Sport: Track and field

Event: 400-meter hurdles

Height: 5-10

Weight: 161

Previous Olympics: 2000 - Advanced to semifinals.

World Championships: 2003 - 1st; 2001 - 1st; 1999 - failed to advance past qualifying heats.

World ranking: 1st

Other career highlights: Born in New York and raised in Southern California, he competes for the Dominican Republic, where both of his parents were born. He had won 33 consecutive 400-hurdle races through mid-July.

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Jenny Thompson

Age: 31

Date of Birth: Feb. 26, 1973

Hometown: New York

Current Residence: New York

Sport: Swimming

Event: 50-meter freestyle, 100 butterfly, 400 free relay

Height: 5-10

Weight: 160

College: Stanford and Columbia University medical school

Coach: John Collins

Club: Badger Swim Club

Previous Olympics: 2000 - 3rd in 100 free, 5th in 100 butterfly, 1st in 400 free relay, 1st in 800 free relay, 2nd in 400 medley relay; 1996 - 1st in 400 free relay, 1st in 800 free relay, 1st in 400 medley relay; 1992 - 5th in 50 free, 2nd in 100 free, 1st in 400 free relay, 1st in 400 medley relay.

World Championships: 2003 - 3rd in 100 freestyle, 2nd in 50 butterfly, 1st in 100 butterfly, 1st in 400 free relay, 2nd in 400 medley relay; 1998 - 1st in 100 free, 1st in 100 butterfly, 1st in 400 free relay, 1st in 400 medley relay, 2nd in 800 free relay; 1994 - 2nd in 400 free relay, 2nd in 400 medley relay, 3rd in 800 free relay; 1991 - 1st in 400 free relay.

National Championships: 2003 - 1st in 50 freestyle; 2002 - 2nd in 50 freestyle, 4th in 100 freestyle, 2nd in 100 butterfly.

World ranking: 8th in 50 freestyle, 25.02; 10th in 100 butterfly, 58.91.

Other career highlights: Most decorated American female swimmer with 10 Olympic medals, including a record eight gold (all in relays).

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Serena Williams

Age: 22

Date of Birth: Sept. 26, 1981

Hometown: Saginaw, Mich.

Current Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and Los Angeles

Sport: Tennis

Event: Singles and Doubles (with sister Venus)

Previous Olympics: 2000 (1st, doubles with sister Venus).

Ranking: 14th

Career highlights: Won six Grand Slam titles, most recently at Wimbledon in 2003; one of five women to hold all four major titles at once; was ranked No. 1 for 57 weeks until left knee surgery in August 2003.

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Blaine Wilson

Age: 29

Date of Birth: Aug. 3, 1974

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Current Residence: Columbus, Ohio

Sport: Gymnastics

Height: 5-4

Coach: Miles Avery

Club/team: Team Chevron-Ohio State

Previous Olympics: 2000 - 5th, team; 6th, all-around, vault. 1996 - 5th, team; 7th, rings.

World Championships: 2003 - 2nd, team; 6th, parallel bars, still rings. 1999 - 4th, all-around; 6th, team. 1997 - 5th, team; 10th, all-around. 1995 - 9th, team; 25th, all-around.

Other career highlights: National champion, 1996-2000. American Cup champion, 1997-99, 2001, 2003. 1998 - 3rd, all-around, Goodwill Games. NCAA champion, 1996 and 1997.