Aug. 13, 2012
NORFOLK, Va. -- Four former Old Dominion University athletic standouts and one current student-athlete all competed in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Old Dominion’s five athletes were the most of any CAA school represented in London.
Anna Tunnicliffe made history during her junior year at ODU, becoming the first sailor ever to win back-to-back ICSA Women's Singlehanded National Championships. Tunnicliffe won the gold medal for the United States in the Women’s Laser Radial in Beijing in 2008 and competed in match racing this year in London. Debbie Capozzi, a former ODU teammate joined her in this year’s Olympic Games. After round robin play the United States finished in a tie for second place with a record of 8-3. In the quarterfinals, the Americans lost to eventual bronze medalist Finland, 3-1. The loss knocked the U.S. back to fifth place in the final standings.
Caroline Nichols became the first CAA player ever to win the CAA Player of the Year and the CAA Defender of the Year in the same season back in 2006. Nichols was a defender on the 2008 United States team that placed eighth in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, and also helped lead the United States in the 2012 Olympics in London. The United States stunned eventual silver medalist Argentina, 1-0, but dropped all four of their remaining qualification matches. Their overall record of 1-4 earned them a spot in the eleventh place match against Belgium, which the U.S. lost, 2-1. Nichols played in 301 minutes in the 2012 Olympics for an average of over 50 minutes per contest.
Arni Arnason concluded his collegiate career this past spring as one of the most decorated Monarchs in ODU men's swimming history and was an Honorable Mention All-American in 2012. Arnason currently holds eight ODU records and was the CAA Men's Swimmer of the Year in three of his four seasons with the Monarchs. Arnason, who swam the 50-meter freestyle for his native Iceland in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, finished fifth in his heat and 32nd overall with a time of 22.81 in the 2012 Olympic Games.
Sidni Hoxha is a rising junior at ODU and was the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2011. Hoxha took part in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for his native Albania in the 50-meter freestyle. He captured first place in his heat and 37th overall with a time of 51.11 in the men's 100-meter freestyle at the 2012 Olympics.