LSU SPORTS NET has a wonderful posting up here at LSU Athletes in the Games of the XXIX Olympiad It also has the times when they shall be up in China.
I think the Olympics show exactly the importance of a good sports program that goes beyond football. It is a critical part of WORLD WIDE UNIVERSITY and gives good press to the entire State no matter where you go to school.
For example look at this article from Sunday that was in a Zimbabwe paper on LSU Swimmer Heather Brand. It says in part:
FOR many university students, the summer of 2008 is to be an anxious one, nervously waiting for results to arrive. But for Heather Brand, university results will be the least of her concerns as she lines up for the 100m butterfly event in Beijing.Brand is expected to flow like a butterfly in the women’s 100m-butterfly event. She is not as popular as Coventry but her name has kept the American media in frenzy after being the first foreign student to captain her college’s swimming and diving team.
I think the Olympics show exactly the importance of a good sports program that goes beyond football. It is a critical part of WORLD WIDE UNIVERSITY and gives good press to the entire State no matter where you go to school.
For example look at this article from Sunday that was in a Zimbabwe paper on LSU Swimmer Heather Brand. It says in part:
FOR many university students, the summer of 2008 is to be an anxious one, nervously waiting for results to arrive. But for Heather Brand, university results will be the least of her concerns as she lines up for the 100m butterfly event in Beijing.Brand is expected to flow like a butterfly in the women’s 100m-butterfly event. She is not as popular as Coventry but her name has kept the American media in frenzy after being the first foreign student to captain her college’s swimming and diving team.
The LSU based swimmer is ranked among the best swimmers of this generation. She is also on a swimming scholarship in the United States majoring in wildlife management. Brand has been hard at work all year preparing for the summer’s events and many consider the Zimbabwean pool diva to be in with a good chance of a podium finish.Born in South America Brand moved to Zimbabwe when she was 12.She started swimming when she was four and entered competitions at the age of eight.She ran triathlons, played field hockey and was involved in diving and swimming throughout high school. She had encouraging words for Team Zimbabwe. “Before every race I write the words 'Mom, Dad and God' on the starting blocks," Brand said. "I never forget why I'm here." “I'm very thankful to America for giving me a chance. It's very humbling when I go back home," she said. "Sometimes I feel like I take the resources for granted in America. I feel like you can get and do anything in America." "From what I have accomplished here, people back home recognize me and look up to me. My goal is to bring other students to LSU to do the same.To make it to the Olympics and swim with other LSU swimmers," she said.Brand’s major rivals in the butterfly event are Australian Jemma Lowe, Petria Thomas, Poland’s Otylia Jedrzejczak, Dutch Inge de Bruin, Japanese Junko Onichi and American Jenny Thompson.Team Zimbabwe’ s swimming contingent is ready to light up a blaze of glory.
Great publicity.
Great publicity.
I shall try to follow what our Tigers our doing over in China the next couple of weeks
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