Penn State at the Olympics: By the Numbers

Looking for Nittany Lions to cheer on at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo? Here's your guide to the Games.

Joe Kovacs, the reigning world champion and defending Olympic silver-medalist in the shot put, headlines Penn State's diverse contingent of athletes and coaches participating in the Summer Olympics.

Twenty-one current and former Penn Staters will represent five countries at the Olympics, which are underway in Tokyo. The first Penn State representatives took the field Wednesday, when the U.S. women's soccer team opened the tournament against Sweden.

Athletes have represented Penn State at every Summer Games since 1948 (except for the 1980 boycotted Olympics).

Alyssa Naeher (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)

Here's a look at Penn State's Olympic history and representation in Tokyo by the numbers, courtesy of records from the athletic department:

118: Number of Penn State all-time Olympians

33: Number of Olympic medals won by Penn Staters

15: Current and former Penn State athletes competing this year

10: Former athletes representing the U.S.

8: Sports in which Penn Staters are competing 

4: Current coaches representing the U.S.

3: Olympic appearances for men's volleyball player Matt Anderson

2: Olympic appearances for Kovacs, U.S. women's soccer player Alyssa Naeher, U.S. men's volleyball player Max Holt and Irish swimmer Shane Ryan.

2: Olympic coaching appearances for women's soccer coach Erica Dambach

1: Current athlete competing for Mexico (swimmer Gabe Castano)

1: Former athletes representing Mexico, Japan, Egypt and Ireland

1: Former club-sport athlete competing

1: Former athlete coaching for Japan

1: Former athlete serving as a U.S. team physician

Here are Penn State's 2020 Olympians:

U.S. Athletes

• Matt Anderson (men's volleyball)
• Kayla Canett-Oca (women's rugby)
• Micha Hancock (women's volleyball)
• Max Holt (men's volleyball)
• Joe Kovacs (men's track & field)
• Andrew Mackiewicz (men's fencing)
• Alyssa Naeher (women's soccer)
• Michael Shuey (men's track & field)
• David Taylor (men's wrestling)
• Haleigh Washington (women's volleyball)

International Athletes

• Gabe Castano (Mexico, men's swimming)
• Mohamed Hassan (Egypt, men's fencing)
• Melissa Rodriguez (Mexico, women's swimming)
• Shane Ryan (Ireland, men's swimming)
• Kaito Streets (Japan, men's fencing)

Coaches

• Erica Dambach (U.S. women's soccer assistant coach)
• Cael Sanderson (U.S. wrestling personal coach)
• Cody Sanderson (U.S. wrestling personal coach)
• Casey Cunningham (U.S. wrestling personal coach)
• Tom Hovasse (Japan women's basketball head coach)

In addition, six members of the Nittany Lions Wrestling Club will compete for four countries:

U.S. Wrestlers

• Thomas Gilman
• Helen Maroulis
• Kyle Snyder

International Wrestlers

• Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Ubekistan)
• Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico)
• Jane Valencia (Mexico)