Alameda's connection to the Olympic Games dates back to 1920 when the city hosted the first U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at Neptune Beach.
The first Olympic athletes with Alameda roots were Harold Von Schmidt, Charles Tilden Jr. and Charles "Red" Mehan who were all graduates of Alameda High School. They were all members of the gold medal winning 1920 U.S.Olympic Rugby team. Tilden and Von Schmidt were also members of the 1924 Olympic Rugby team although neither of them participated in a match that year. Alameda sister and brother pair Marian Gilman & Ralph Gilman were also both Olympians. Marian was a member of the 1928 Olympic swim team and placed fourth that year and Ralph was a member of the 1936 Olympic swim team. Alameda High School swimming sensation, Tom Blankenburg was a member of the 1928 Olympic swim team and placed fourth in the breaststroke.
More recently, Alameda born David Roberts was a member of the 1994 U.S. Hockey team, Alameda High School alumnus Nicole Carroll participated in the 1996 Summer Olympics in the Javelin and St. Joseph Notre Dame High School graduate Jason Kidd has been a member of two gold medal winning Men's Olympic Basketball teams in 2000 & 2008.
Alameda's most decorated Olympian is swimmer Mikhalia Rutherford. She's a 2006 Alameda High School graduate who participated in the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece and brought home 4 medals (3 gold, 1 Silver) for the U.S. team.
The Alameda Sports Project would also like to acknowledge these Olympic athletes who now make Alameda their home:
Elliot Hovey (Rowing)
Pamela Jiles (Track & Field)
Wes Piermarini (Rowing)
