DENVER — Colorado has never hosted the Olympics, but it has hosted a lot of Olympic athletes who were either born and raised in Colorado or moved to Colorado to follow their Olympic dreams.
At the 5280 Gym in Littleton is Yul Moldauer, one of those athletes “born and raised, well not born but adopted and raised” according to Moldauer.
Moldauer was born in South Korea, but at five months of age he was adopted and brought to Colorado where he got into gymnastics.
Moldauer is now representing Team USA at the Olympics in Tokyo.
“Colorado is an amazing state,” said Moldauer.
Given the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center is in Colorado Springs and just down the street is the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum, it makes since Colorado would be an important location for athletes looking to go to the Olympics.
Colorado Springs' Velodrome is also a big factor for cyclists looking to train.
Triathletes, cyclist, boxers, wrestlers, shooters, pentathletes, gymnasts, track and field athletes, rock climbers and soccer players are just a few of the athletes who call Colorado home.
Team USA Triathlon coach Ian O’Brian says Colorado is perfect for training.
“The altitude we are at is a sweet zone to get benefits of increasing red blood cell count and hematocrit levels,” said O’Brian.
There’s also the attitude in Colorado that triathlon Taylor Knibb says is very supportive for staying in shape.
“If you ever go out on a Saturday or Sunday the amount of cyclist here is just so fun,” said Knibb.
- Gymnast Yul Moldauer was raised in Colorado.
- Wrestlers Adeline Gray and G’Angelo Hancock were born and raised in Colorado.
- Soccer player Lindsey Horan calls Colorado her home.
- Triathlete Taylor Knibb moved to Boulder to train.
- Pentathlete Samantha Shultz grew up in Littleton.
- Cyclist Jennifer Valante moved to Colorado Springs to train.
- Boxer Naomi Graham is in the Army and stationed in Colorado.
- Marathon runner Jake Riley moved to Boulder for training.
- Steeplechase runner Emma Coburn grew up in Crested Butte.
- Rock climbers Colin Duffy and Brooke Raboutou both grew up in Colorado.
Soccer player Janine Beckie plays for Team Canada, but grew up and lives in Colorado.
“All three of my older siblings were born in Sacsayhuaman along with both my parents and we moved here just before I was born so I was born and raised in Colorado, so yes I have dual citizenship,” said Beckie.
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