Going for Gold and Blue: SJSU’s Olympic Timeline
San José State has been a part of nearly every Summer Olympic Games since 1924. Spartans have competed, coached or earned medals, while representing the United States and countries around the globe.
Seven SJSU Spartans will participate in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo from July 23 to August 8. (L-R) Suzy Brookshire Gonzales, Colton Brown, Clara Espar Llaquet, Michelle Cox, Robyn Stevens, Emma Entzminger (Not pictured: Coach Greg Massialas).
2020
Tokyo, Japan
- Suzy Brookshire Gonzales
Mexico softball - Colton Brown
Judo - Michelle Cox
Softball, bronze medal, representing Canada - Clara Espar Llaquet
Water polo, silver medal, representing Spain - Stacey Johnson
Fencing - Robyn Stevens
USA women’s track and field - Coach Greg Massialas
USA fencing head coach
2016
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Colton Brown
Judo - Marti Malloy
Judo - Greg Massialas
Fencing, head coach
2012
London, United Kingdom
- Marti Malloy
Judo, Lightweight, bronze medal - Greg Massialas
Fencing, head coach
2016: The Road to Rio
This summer, watch out for Spartan and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marti Malloy and Colton Brown. Follow these Spartans as they prepare for the Games:
Colton Brown: @colt_forty_5 (Photo: David Schmitz).
Marti Malloy: @Martidamus (Photo: Christina Olivas).
Watch Marti Malloy and Colton Brown train.
2008
Beijing, China
- Greg Massialas
Fencing, head coach - Taylor Takata
Judo, 145 pounds - Peter Ueberroth
United States Olympic Committee chairman
Mike Swain, Judo, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992 Olympics
Bob Berland, Judo, 1984, 1988 Olympics
2004 | Athens, Greece
2000
Sydney, Australia
1996
Atlanta, United States
1992
Barcelona, Spain
1988
Seoul, South Korea
Peter Ueberroth, Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee President, 1984 Olympics.
1984
Los Angeles, United States
1980
Moscow, Soviet Union
U.S. Olympians boycotted the games, per President Carter’s order, but they’re all considered Olympians by USOC
- Felix Bohni
Track and Field, Pole Vault, represented Switzerland - Dedy Cooper
Track and Field, 110 Hurdles - George Haines
Swimming, men’s and women’s head coach - Gay Jacobsen D’Asaro
Fencing - Stacey Johnson
Fencing - Urs Kamber
Track and Field, 4×400 meters relay, represented Switzerland - Paul Maruyama
Judo, head coach - Greg Massialas
Fencing - Keith Nakasone
Judo - Gerardo Padilla
Judo, 143 pounds, represented Mexico - John Powell
Track and Field, Discus - Dan Ripley
Track and Field, Pole Vault - Mike Swain
Judo
1976
Montreal, Canada
- Essodina Atchade
Track and Field, Long Jump, represented Togo - Gay Jacobsen D’Asaro
Fencing - Mike D’Asaro
Fencing, coach - George Haines
Swimming, men’s assistant coach - Simon Kilili
Track and Field, represented Kenya - Marty Lockwood
Greco-Roman Wrestling, 105.5 pounds, alternate - Gerardo Padilla
Judo, 143 pounds, represented Mexico - John Powell
Track and Field, Discus, bronze medal
Lynn Vidali, Swimming, 1972 Olympics
1972
Munich, West Germany
1968: Track and Field
If SJSU were a country, it would have been second only to the United States for the number of gold medals earned in track and field during the 1968 Games.
Over the course of his track and field coaching career, Bud Winter (left) coached 102 All-Americans, 27 who went on to become Olympians—including Spartan John Carlos (right).
Lee Evans (Photo: David Schmitz).
Ronnie Ray Smith
Tommie Smith (Photo: David Schmitz).
1968
Mexico City, Mexico
- Bert Bonanno
Track and Field, Mexico team coach - Ed Burke
Hammer Throw - John Carlos
Track and Field, 200 meters, bronze medal - Tom Dooley
Track and Field, 20-Kilometer Walk - Lee Evans
Track and Field, gold medal in 400 and gold medal in 4×400 meters - Tom Haine
Volleyball - George Haines
Swimming, men’s head coach - Mitch Ivey
Swimming, 100, 200 back, 400 medley relay, silver medal in 200 back - Art Lambert
Water Polo, head coach - Neville Myton
Track and Field, 800 meters, represented Jamaica - Chris Popanicolaou
Track and Field, Pole Vault, represented Greece, 4th place - Ronnie Ray Smith
Track and Field, 4×100 meters relay, gold medal - Tommie Smith
Track and Field, 200 meters, gold medal - Lynn Vidali
Swimming, 200 IM and 400 IM, silver medal in 400 IM
1964: The first year judo became an Olympic sport
A member of the first U.S. team, Ben Nighthorse Campbell says: “When you finally get to the Olympics and you march into the stadium behind your own national flag, it’s an experience that’s hard to put into words. But it’s like saying to yourself, ‘Finally, I’ve arrived!’”
Paul Maruyama, 1964 Olympics (Photo: David Schmitz).
Ben Nighthorse Campbell, 1964 Olympics (Photo: David Schmitz).
Yoshiro Uchida, Head Judo Coach (Photo: David Schmitz).
1964
Tokyo, Japan
- Ed Burke
Hammer Throw - Russ Camilleri
Freestyle Wrestling, 171.5 pounds - Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Judo, open division - Judith Reeder Calpin
Swimming - Mike D’Asaro
Fencing - Jeff Fishback
Track and Field, Steeplechase - George Haines
Swimming, men’s assistant coach - Dennis Johnson
Track and Field, 100, 200, 4×100 meters relay, represented British West Indies (now Jamaica) - Paul Maruyama
Judo, Lightweight, 5th place - Lloyd Murad
Track and Field, 100, 200, 4×100 meters relay, represented Venezuela - Yoshiro Uchida
Judo, head coach
1960
Rome, Italy
George Mattos, Track and Field, 1952, 1956 Olympics
1956
Melbourne, Australia
Chuck Adkins, Boxing, 1952 Olympics
1952
Helsinki, Finland
1948
London, United Kingdom
1944 | London, United Kingdom [CANCELLED DUE TO World War II]
1940 | Helsinki, Finland [CANCELLED DUE TO World War II]
1936 | Berlin, Germany
1932
Los Angeles, United States
Margaret Jenkins, Track and Field, 1928, 1932 Olympics
1928
Amsterdam, Netherlands
1924
Paris, France
1920 | Antwerp, Belgium
1916 | Berlin, Germany [CANCELLED DUE TO World War I]
1912 | Stockholm, Sweden
1908 | London, United Kingdom
1904 | St. Louis, United States
1900 | Paris, France
1896 | Athens, Greece
Spot an omission to the list of Spartans who competed or coached in the Olympics Games? We want to hear from you.
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