As the summer Olympics kick off, the event in London seems far far away, but didja know that several past Olympic athletes hail from right here in East Dallas?

In 2008 The Advocate tracked down all the former Olympians we could find. Here’s what we came up with:

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Ryan Berube, American swimmer, Olympic Games: 1996 in Atlanta, Ga.
Medals won: Gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

Martina Moravcova, Slovakian swimmer, Olympic Games: 1992 in Barcelona, Spain; 1996 in Atlanta, Ga.; 2000 in Sydney Australia; 2004 in Athens, GreeceMedals won: Two silver in 2000; 100-meter individual medley and 200-meter freestyle

Daniel Watters, American swimmer,
Olympic Games: 1988 in Seoul

Vince Poscente, American skier,
Olympic Games: 1992 in Albertville

Peter Snell, New Zealand runner, Olympic Games: 1960 in Rome, ; 1964 in Tokyo,
Medals won: Two gold in the 800 meter and one gold in the 1500 meter

Update: Thanks to a reader, I just learned that Louise Ritter, former track and field Olympian, has lived in the East Dallas area since the late 80s. She grew up in Red Oak, TX.

Read the full story here.

Also from our neighborhood are 2008 Olympic Swimming coaches Eddie Sinnot and Steve Collins. Read about them here.

That reminds me, if you are not an Olympic-striving athlete, but enjoy recreational sport, be sure to check out our August issue, in which we explore some alternative approaches to sport (video included).