2010 Winter Olympic Hometown Heroes

[Gil Dobie]

Who are your hometown heroes for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver?

Tony Benshoff, Hugo, MN. during the non-olympic season, he is a bartender at the local Carpenters Steak House in Hugo, about 5 miles from where I am typing.

Event: Luge
Last Olympics: 9th place

Best wishes to Tony xthumbsupx

[ngineer]

No real winter olympics competitors from these parts that I know of. Come 2012, I'd expect a number of athletes with Lehigh Valley connections to be competing in wrestling, cycling, and maybe gymnastics, with some players in field hockey.

[Gil Dobie]

Forward Natalie Darwitz 26 Eagan 2008-09 U.S. women's hockey team

My daughters team lost to Eagan in the Minnesota High School section finals, Darwitz was in the penalty box and Eagan scored the winning goal with less than 2 minutes to play.
Darwitz was a Soph, her last year in High School before joining the national teams and later the University of Minnesota.

[Gil Dobie]

21 total from Minnesota, and that's not including Lindsey Vonn who learned to ski on the local Buck Hill, becoming a prodigy and moving to Colorado.

Strib Link (http://minneapolis.about.com/od/healthsportsrecreation/a/winterolympicathletes.htm)

Biathalon

Wynn Roberts, Battle Lake

Curling

Competing in the Men's Curling are,
John Shuster; Chisholm
Jason Smith; Chisholm
Jeff Isaacson; Duluth
Chris Plys; Duluth
John Benton; St. Michael

And competing in the Women's Curling are,

Natalie Nicholson; Bemidji
Allison Pottinger; Eden Prairie

Ice Hockey

Representing Minnesota for the Men's Ice Hockey are,

David Backes; Blaine
Erik Johnson; Bloomington
Jamie Langenbrunner; Cloquet
Zach Parise; Prior Lake
Paul Martin; Minneapolis (injured, DNP)

And representing Minnesota for the Women's Ice Hockey are,

Natalie Darwitz; Eagan
Jenny Potter; Edina
Gigi Marvin; Warroad

Luge

Tony Benshoof; White Bear Lake. Competing in the Men's Singles.

Speed Skating

Rebekah Bradford; Apple Valley. Competing in the Ladies' 500m and Ladies' 1000m.

Skiing - Alpine

Kaylin Richardson; Edina.

Skiing - Cross Country

Caitlin Compton; Minneapolis.
Garrott Kuzzy; Minneapolis.