2016 U.S. Olympic Team boasts at least five Eagle Scouts
At least five members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team competing in Rio de Janeiro this month are Eagle Scouts, the National Eagle Scout Association has confirmed.
Before they wore red, white and blue uniforms for Team USA, these men — two swimmers, a race walker, a triathlete and a beach volleyball player — wore the red, white and blue Eagle Scout badge on their Scout uniforms.
They’re living proof that a young person has time for success in Scouting and in sports.
Let’s meet these Eagle Scouts.
Casey Patterson, Beach Volleyball
Date of birth: April 20, 1980
Eagle Scout earned: Sept. 25, 1997
Hometown: Newbury Park, Calif.
Olympics experience: First Olympics
Outlook: Patterson and teammate Jake Gibb will be seeded sixth at the Olympics, giving them a real chance to compete for a medal.
When to watch: Patterson and Gibb begin play Aug. 6 with a match against Qatar. Coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
How to watch: Beach volleyball coverage will be spread across NBC’s many networks: NBC, CNBC, MSNBC and USA Network. Find a TV/livestream schedule here.
Ryan Held, Swimming: 4×100 Freestyle Relay
Date of birth: June 27, 1995
Eagle Scout earned: Dec. 16, 2010
Hometown: Springfield, Ill.
Olympics experience: First Olympics
Outlook: Held made the relay team as the third-fastest individual swimmer in the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Team Trials in June. Six swimmers will travel to Rio and vie for the four spots on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. The four who will swim in the finals on Aug. 7 won’t be announced until that day.
“They’re going to put the four fastest guys on the relay, and whoever they believe is the four fastest guys, that is who’s going on,” Held told his local newspaper.
When to watch: Both the qualifying heat and the final medal race in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay are held Aug. 7. Coverage of the heats begins at noon Eastern. Coverage of the final begins at 9 p.m. Eastern.
How to watch: Swimming coverage will air on NBC. Find a TV/livestream schedule here.
Sean Ryan, Swimming: 10K Open Water
Date of birth: Aug. 13, 1992
Eagle Scout earned: July 19, 2010
Hometown: Chattanooga, Tenn.
Olympics experience: First Olympics
Outlook: Ryan finished fourth in the 10K swim at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia. He finished 15 seconds behind the champion, meaning he’s within reach of a medal in Rio.
When to watch: The men’s 10K, at the picturesque Copacabana beach, begins at 8 a.m. Eastern Aug. 16.
How to watch: NBC hasn’t yet finalized its TV plans for this event, but the livestream will appear here.
John Nunn, Track and Field: 50K Race Walk
Date of birth: Feb. 3, 1978
Eagle Scout earned: Aug. 12, 1992
Hometown: San Diego
Olympics experience: Third Olympics (2004, 2012)
Outlook: Finished 37th in the 50K race walk — his career best — at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. At more than 31 miles, the 50K race walk is the longest Olympic event. Unlike running, race walking requires one foot to be in contact with the ground at all times.
When to watch: The race begins at 7 a.m. Eastern on Aug. 19 and will end about 3.5 hours later.
How to watch: NBC hasn’t yet finalized its TV plans for this event, but the livestream will appear here.
Greg Billington, Triathlon
Date of birth: May 30, 1989
Eagle Scout earned: June 2, 2007
Hometown: Spokane, Wash.
Olympics experience: First Olympics
Outlook: Ranked 37th on the Olympics qualification list, Billington was the was the top American finisher at the Rio de Janeiro qualifying triathlon, placing 15th.
When to watch: Coverage starts at 10 a.m. Eastern on Aug. 18.
How to watch: NBC hasn’t yet finalized its TV plans for this event, but the livestream will appear here.
Did we miss any?
It’s possible an Eagle Scout Olympian slipped through the cracks when NESA compared its database to the list of Olympians.
Missing or mistyped information in the Eagle Scout list could mean we missed an Eagle Scout who will compete in Rio.
So if you know of any Eagle Scouts members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team that I haven’t listed here, leave a comment below.
Thanks to NESA’s Ryan Larson for doing the research that powered this post. He gets a gold medal.