In Paris, ten athletes with Gem State ties joined the ranks of Idaho Olympians.
What Happened in Paris?
Many eyes in the Treasure Valley were trained on Marisa Howard and Alyssa Mendoza, athletes who live in Boise and Caldwell respectively, and Matteo Jorgensen, a cyclist from Boise.
Mendoza became Caldwell’s pride this summer, and USA Boxing calls her a “rising star.” She squeaked into the featherweight boxing competition at the Olympics in a last-minute qualifier, and won her opening round before falling in the second. Tomorrow, the community is holding an afternoon of celebrations with the Olympian in downtown Caldwell.
Howard’s podium aspirations ended in the rounds of the 3,000-meter steeplechase, a growing distance race that Boise State University’s track program has thrown its weight behind. At the Olympic Trials in June, three Boise State alums raced in the final, with Boisean Howard making the top three.
Like many of the world’s top cyclists, Jorgensen had a busy month between competing in the Tour de France and the Olympics two weeks later. Jorgensen made his Olympic debut during these Games, coming in ninth in the road race.
A Few of Idaho’s Famous Olympians
Idaho’s population may be relatively small, but our great outdoors have provided early training grounds for many eventual Olympic athletes.
In Boise, perhaps none is more recognizable than the most decorated woman cyclist in U.S. Olympic history, Kristin Armstrong. She made history in 2016 at the Rio Olympics by becoming the oldest cyclist to win gold, and did so for the third Olympics in a row. Not only is Armstrong the namesake of one of our city’s best parks and a bikeway on Bogus Basin Road, but she still lives in the City of Trees and coached two cyclists to the podium in Paris.
Bogus Basin has been good enough for many world-class skiers and snowboarders, including Olympians who gained their footing on the slopes. One of those was Jeret Peterson, a three-time Olympian in freestyle skiing and aerials who won a silver medal at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. Little more than a year later, however, Peterson died by suicide after struggling with depression for several years.
A little further back, Picabo Street rose to skiing fame as a Sun Valley skier who surprised herself by winning silver at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics in the downhill. After injuries set her back, she returned to Olympic form to win gold in the Super G in 1998.
