Olympics: Oxonians to watch

Sir Roger Bannister and Oxford student Nicola Byrom light the Olympic torch at Oxford’s Iffley Road track. (photo credit: John Cairns)

If you plan to glue yourself to your sofa during the Olympic Games, keep an eye out for the nine Oxonians who will be competing in London this summer.

The Olympians to watch are British rowers Constantine Louloudis, Tom Solesbury, Pete Reed and Andy Triggs Hodge, American swimmer Davis Tarwater, Canadian rower Scott Frandsen, British fencer Sophie Troiano, Dutch rower Sjoerd Hamburger and British marathon runner Mara Yamauchi.

Scott Fransden came to Oxford in 2003 to study for an MSc in Psychology at St Edmund Hall and will compete in the rowing men's pair for Canada. He rowed for Oxford in the 2003 Boat Race, when the team won by one foot. He competed in the men's pair for Canada at Beijing 2008 and won the silver medal.

Sjoerd Hamburger came to Oxford in 2008 to study for an MSc in Evidence Based Social Intervention at Oriel College and will compete for the Netherlands in the rowing men's single scull. He rowed for Oxford in the 2009 Boat Race, and competed for the Netherlands in the single scull at Beijing 2008.

Andrew Triggs Hodge studied for an MSc Water Science, Policy and Management at St Catherine's College in 2004 and will compete for Great Britain in the rowing men’s coxless four. He rowed in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in 2005, and won gold for Great Britain at Beijing 2008 in the coxless fours event.

Constantine Louloudis is a second year Classics undergraduate at Trinity College and will compete in the rowing men's coxless eight event. He won gold in the men's pair at the 2011 Under-23 World Championships last year, and was also the youngest member of the victorious Oxford crew at the 2011 Boat Race at the age of 19.