UVic Connections To London Olympics

Updated: August 10, 2012

A dozen athletes with connections to the University of Victoria are taking part in the London 2012 Games, which opened on July 27. Visit the UVic Vikes news page for ongoing updates, including stories on swimmer Ryan Cochrane's silver medal performance, and the silver medals won by Canada's men's and women's eights rowing teams. Marathon swimmer Richard Weinberger has also taken the bronze in the Hyde Park’s Serpentine’s 10-kilometre race. Weinberger is a UVic student who took last year off to prepare for the Olympics.

In rowing, UVic alumnae Rachelle Viinberg and Darcy Marquardt are on the women's silver medal team, while Lindsay Jennerich is part of the lightweight doubles entries. Gabe Bergen and Doug Csima, both former Vikes, are on the men’s silver medal team.

Also among the athletes from UVic are bronze medalist swimmer and student Ryan Cochrane (Social Sciences), who is competing in the men’s 400-metre and 1,500-metre freestyle. Another medal hopeful is former UVic student Catharine Pendrel, the current world champion in mountain biking who will be going for gold in London. Also on mountain bike will be UVic mechanical engineering student and Olympic veteran Geoff Kabush who will compete in his third games after competing in Sydney in 2000 and Beijing in 2008.

Fencer and UVic commerce graduate Monica Peterson is slated to compete in her first Olympics, after a championship at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 she was a four-time Pan American Games medalist at Rio in 2007 and Guadalajara in 2011.

Also in swimming competition, former Vikes Hilary Caldwell and Stephanie Horner earned spots on the 200-metre backstroke and 400-metre individual medley, respectively. Vikes swimmer and 2010 Pan American champion in open water Richard Weinberger earned a berth to compete in Hyde Park’s Serpentine’s 10-kilometre race.

Wheelchair basketball player Janet McLachlan, who played for the Vikes and is a Bachelor of Science graduate, will compete in her second Paralympics in London which open Aug. 29.

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