Gold medalistUS swimmer Natalie Coughlin (Center), silver medalist Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry (Left) and bronze medal winner US swimmer Margaret Hoelzer (Right) (Photo by: TIMOTHY CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Viewers who have been tuning into the 2008 Olympics in Beijing may be interested in knowing that U.S. gold medal winner Natalie Coughlin’s maternal grandmother is from the Philippines.

Coughlin, who won gold in the 100m backstroke, is of Filipino and Irish heritage and lives in California. She also won two bronze medals in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay and the women’s 200-meter individual medley.

At the 2004 Olympic games in Athens, Coughlin won five gold medals, becoming only the third U.S. female athlete to do so at a single Olympics.

Source: Hawaii Filipino Chronicle

BEIJING — Christel Simms, a Punahou School senior swimming for the Philippines, had a personal best in the women’s 100-meter freestyle yesterday, but did not advance to the semifinals.

Simms, just the seventh woman from the Philippines to swim in the Olympics, finished fourth in her heat in 56.67 seconds. Her previous best was 57.17.

Simms will swim in the 50-meter freestyle qualifying heats tomorrow.

Source: Honolulu Advertiser

Brown Nation would like to wish GOOD LUCK to Christel Simms as she represents the Philippines in the sport of swimming for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.