Team US Virgin Islands in the Olympic Games
The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) may be a small territory, but we are hugely proud of the athletes that represent us in the Olympic Games. While the Jamaican Bobsled team may have put the Caribbean on the map for the Winter Olympics, many of the Caribbean islands send delegates to both the Summer and Winter Olympics – and the USVI is no exception. You’ll find many sleepy faces at work here on St. Croix during the weeks of the Olympics as residents stay up late each night watching the Games and cheering for the Team USVI and Team USA.
The USVI got their start in the Olympic Games when the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee was formed in 1967, and recognized by the International Olympic Committee the same year. As you can imagine given the Caribbean climate here, the majority of the USVI athletes compete in the Summer Olympics in events like Athletics (Track and Field), Swimming, Sailing and Yachting. A few Summer Olympians from the USVI have also competed in Boxing, Weightlifting, Shooting, Wrestling, Fencing, Equestrian, Tea Kwon Do, and Cycling over the years. Since the team was started 1968, the USVI have competed in almost every Summer Olympics, the only exception being 1980 when the USVI took part in the boycott of the Moscow Games. You may be surprised to learn that the USVI have also participated in seven of the Olympic Winter Games since 1988. Athletes from the USVI have competed in Luge, Bobsled and Skiing at the various Winter Games. In fact, Seba Johnson, the first African American woman Olympic skier, and Dinah Suzy Browne, the first African American Women’s Luge athlete, both represented the USVI in Winter Olympics.
For those watching or reading about the Olympic Games you can find the USVI Olympic Team stats and scores listed under “ISV”. Why ISV? According to the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee, it is a matter of the Olympic languages. The modern Olympic Games were founded by a Frenchman names Pierre de Coubertin, and French and English are the two official languages of the Olympics. Each country participating in the Olympic Games is given a three letter country code for their team. For most countries, it’s the first three letters of the country’s name, and while many country’s names are very similar in English and French, there are some that are very different. For example Spain in French is Espagne, so their team’s country code is ESP. The Virgin Islands in French are called Iles Vierges, and that’s where the ISV country code is derived.
In addition to the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the USVI also sends delegations to the Youth Olympics (where we have one gold medal won by Ian Barrow in 2010), as well as the Pan Am Games and the Central American and Caribbean Games. While the USVI Olympic Team has only brought home one medal thus far in our history at the Games (a silver medal in Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul by Peter Holmberg), we are nonetheless proud and supportive of ALL the athletes that compete for our territory. To learn more about the USVI Olympic athletes and the history of the USVI in the Olympic Games, you can visit the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee website at www.virginislandsolympics.org.
Here is a list of the athletes that have competed in the Olympic Games representing the USVI, including the sport in which they competed:
2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Katie Tannenbaum – Skeleton
2020 (2021) Tokoyo Summer Olympics
Eddie Lovett – Athletics (Track & field)
Natalia “Nati” Kuipers – Swimming
Adriel Sanes – Swimming
Nicholas D’Amour – Archery
2016 Rio Summer Olympics
Laverne Jones – Athletics (Track & field)
Muhammad Halim – Athletics (Track & field)
Eddie Lovett – Athletics (Track & field)
Caylee Watson – Swimming
Rex Tullius – Swimming
Clayton Laurent Jr. – Boxing
Cy Thompson – Laser Class Sailing
2012 London Summer Olympics
Tabarie Henry – Athletics (Track & field)
Muhammad Halim – Athletics (Track & field)
Allison Peter – Athletics (Track & field)
Laverne Jones-Ferrette – Athletics (Track & field)
Cy Thompson – Laser Class Sailing
Mimi Roller – Laser Class Sailing
Branden Whitehurst – Swimming
2006 Torino Winter Olympics
Julianne Abernathy – Women’s Luge
2004 Athens Summer Olympics
Laverne Jones – Athletics (Track & Field)
Adrian Durant – Athletics (Track & Field)
Timothy Pitts – Sailing
George Gleason – Swimming
Joshua Laban – Swimming
Chris Rice – Shooting
Sasha Gumbs – Youth Camp
Muhammad Abiff – Youth Camp
2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics
Troy Billington – Bobsled
Zachery Zoller – Bobsled
Quinn T. Wheeler – Bobsled
Paul A. Zar – Bobsled
Michael Savitch – Bobsled
Christian E. Brown – Bobsled
Keith E. Sudziarski – Bobsled
Julianne Abernathy – Women’s Luge
Dinah Suzy Browne – Women’s Luge (First African American Women’s Luge athlete and Flag Bearer)
2000 Sydney Summer Olympics
Flora Hyacinth – Athletics (Track & Field)
Ameerah Bello – Athletics (Track & Field)
Jeff Jackson – Athletics (Track & Field)
Lucy “Gigi” Hewitt – Equestrian
Chris Rice – Shooting
Bruce Meredith – Shooting
George Gleason – Swimming
Paul Stoeken – Sailing
Ben Beer – Sailing
Joshua Laban – Youth Camp
Rodneyscha Pitts – Youth Camp
1998 Nagano Winter Olympics
Paul Zar – Bobsleigh
Zachery Zoller – Bobsleigh
Keith Sudziarski – Bobsleigh
Anders Vestergaard – Bobsleigh
Todd Schultz – Bobsleigh
William H. Neill – Bobsleigh
Christian E. Brown – Bobsleigh
Jeff C. Kromenhoek – Bobsleigh
Julianne Abernathy – Luge
1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics
Flora Hyacinth – Athletics (Track & Field)
Ameerah Bello – Athletics (Track & Field)
Rochelle Thomas – Athletics (Track & Field)
Jilma Patrick – Athletics (Track & Field)
Jacquelin Hunter – Athletics (Track & Field)
Maria Noel – Athletics (Track & Field)
Mitchell Peters – Athletics (Track & Field)
Dr. Marlon S. Williams – Athletics (Track & Field)
Jacobo Garcia – Boxing
Lisa Neuberger – Sailing
Bruce Meredith – Shooting
Khemo Rivera – Swimming
Edward Dominique – Youth Camp
Andrew Ralph – Youth Camp
Delima Schiegelow – Youth Camp
1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics
David Entwistle – Bobsleigh
Paul Zar – Bobsleigh
Zachery Zoller – Bobsleigh
Keith Sudziarski – Bobsleigh
Alexander Poe – Luge
Julianne Abernathy – Luge
Todd Schultz – Luge
Kyle Heikkila – Luge
Anders Vestergard – Luge
1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics
Jacobo Garcia – Boxing
Gilberto W. Brown – Boxing
Chesen B. Frey – Cycling
Charles R. Holzer – Equestrian
Bruce Meredith – Shooting
Kris Singleton – Swimming
Laurent P. Alfred – Swimming
Shelley K. Cramer – Swimming
Derry Pemberton – Athletics (Track & Field)
Keith A. Smith – Athletics (Track & Field)
Desi Wynter – Athletics (Track & Field)
Neville G. Hodge – Athletics (Track & Field)
Calvin Dallas – Athletics (Track & Field)
Marlon S. Williams – Athletics (Track & Field)
Flora Hyacinth – Athletics (Track & Field)
Ana M. Gutierrez – Athletics (Track & Field)
Ruth L. Morris – Athletics (Track & Field)
Mitchell L. Peters – Athletics (Track & Field)
Wendall D. Dickerson – Athletics (Track & Field)
Mark E. Swanson – Yachting
Lisa Neuberger – Yachting
John Foster, Sr. – Yachting
John P. Foster, Jr. – Yachting
Jimmy Diaz – Yachting
Jean A. Brauer – Yachting
John Holmberg – Yachting
Terrance E. Highfield – Youth Camp
Velencio P.C. Jackson – Youth Camp
Jose Manibo – Youth Camp
Gina Gonzalez – Youth Camp
1992 Albertville Winter Olympics
Daniel Burgner – Bobsleigh
David Entwistle – Bobsleigh
William Neill – Bobsleigh
Don Hass – Bobsleigh
Sven Petersen – Bobsleigh
Stephen Hendren – Bobsleigh
James Withey – Bobsleigh
Michael Juhlin – Bobsleigh
Ernst Matthias – Bobsleigh
Harvey Hook – Bobsleigh
Paul Zar – Bobsleigh
Robbie Johnston – Bobsleigh
Julianne Abernathy – Luge
Kyle Heikkila – Luge
Seba Johnson – Skiing
John Campbell – Skiing
1988 Seoul Summer Olympics
Stephanie McKnight – Cycling
Charles Brodnax – Equestrian
Bruce Meredith – Shooting
Hans Foerster – Swimming
Kris Singleton – Swimming
Kraig Singleton – Swimming
William Cleveland – Swimming
Ronald Picard – Swimming
Tricia Duncan – Swimming
Wallace D. Williams – Athletics (Track & Field)
Marlon S. Williams – Athletics (Track & Field)
Flora Hyacinth – Athletics (Track & Field)
Neville G. Hodge – Athletics (Track & Field)
James Fleming – Athletics (Track & Field)
Ruth Morris – Athletics (Track & Field)
Desi Wynter – Athletics (Track & Field)
Calvin Dallas – Athletics (Track & Field)
Luke Bauldauf – Yachting
John F. Foster – Yachting
John P. Foster – Yachting
Peter Holmberg – Yachting (Silver Medal Winner)
Jean Braure – Yachting
Hans Reiter -Yachting
William Jurczk – Yachting
Robert Fellner – Tae Kwon Do
Deborah Washington – Tae Kwon Do
Tami Noel – Tae Kwon Do
Phillicia Sprauve – Tae Kwon Do
1988 Calgary Winter Olympics
Cathleen Sharpless – Delegate
William Beer – Bobsleigh
David Hook – Bobsleigh
John F. Foster – Bobsleigh
John P. Foster – Bobsleigh
Christopher Sharpless – Bobsleigh
Harvey Hook – Bobsleigh
John Reeve – Bobsleigh
Julianne Abernathy – Luge
Seba Johnson – Skiing (First African American woman Olympic skier)
1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics
Clifton Charleswell – Boxing
Richard Rader – Equestrian
Julito Francis – Fencing
James Kerr – Fencing
James Kreglo – Fencing
Alayna Snell – Fencing
Gary Berne – Shooting
William Henderson – Shooting
Roland B. Scott, Jr. – Shooting
Shelley Cramer – Swimming
Brian Farlow – Swimming
Jodie Lawaetz – Swimming
Scott Newkirk – Swimming
Erik Rosskopf – Swimming
Collier Woolard – Swimming
Harrell J. Woolard – Swimming
Neville G. Hodge – Athletics (Track & Field)
Brion Morrisette – Athletics (Track & Field)
Marlon S. Williams – Athletics (Track & Field)
Ronald E. Russell – Athletics (Track & Field)
James Fleming – Athletics (Track & Field)
Wendell Powell – Athletics (Track & Field)
Jean Braure – Yachting
Daniel Dickison – Yachting
John F. Foster – Yachting
John P. Poster – Yachting
Peter Holmberg – Yachting
Kirk Grybowski – Yachting
John Holmberg – Yachting
Kenneth C. Klein – Yachting
Al Lang – Yachting
Marlon Singh – Yachting
Trace Tervo – Yachting
Eric Zucker – Yachting
Chris Thompson – Windsurfing Exhibit
Lisa Penfield – Windsurfing Exhibit
1976 Montreal Summer Olympics
Marcelino Garcia – Boxing
Harold Fredericks – Shooting
Peter Hogan – Shooting
Russell Johnson – Shooting
Shelley Cramer – Swimming
Steven Newkirk – Swimming
Rita Hendricks – Athletics (Track & Field)
Henry Klein – Athletics (Track & Field)
Ronald E. Russell – Athletics (Track & Field)
Ivan David – Wrestling
Ronald Joseph – Wrestling
Emille Kitnurse – Wrestling
Art Andrew – Yachting
John F. Foster – Yachting
Doug Graham – Yachting
Dick Johnson – Yachting
Tim Kelbert – Yachting
Dan Morrison – Yachting
1972 Munich Summer Olympics
William Peets – Boxing
Jose Alvarez – Shooting
Harold Fredericks – Shooting
Douglas Mast – Shooting
Robert McAuliff – Shooting
Adelbert Nico – Shooting
Salvador Sanpere – Shooting
Calhern George – Athletics (Track & Field)
John F. Foster – Yachting
Richard Griffin – Yachting
John Hamber – Yachting
Richard Holmberg – Yachting
Peter Jackson – Yachting
David Jones – Yachting
David Kelly – Yachting
Kenneth Klein – Yachting
1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics
Franklin Blyden – Athletics (Track & Field)
Carl Plaskett – Athletics (Track & Field)
John Hamber – Yachting
Rudy Thompson – Yachting
Per A. Dohm – Yachting
Liston Sprauve – Weightlifting
– Jennie Ogden, Editor
