The Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia is tonight, officially marking the beginning of the XXII Winter Olympiad.
Once again, the state of Wisconsin will be well represented in these games with those who grew up in the state, those who train here, and even those who once played here that you may remember.
Here is a list of athletes who call Wisconsin home, what sport they will be competing in, and how to interact with them:
Matt Antoine
Prairie du Chien
Country: United States
Event: Skeleton
Interact: @MattAntoine
Nick Baumgartner
Wisconsin family ties
Country: United States
Event: Snowboarding
Interact: @nickbaumgartner
Craig Brown
Madison
Country: United States
Event: Curling
Interact: USA Curling / Facebook
Erika Brown
Madison
Country: United States
Event: Curling
Interact: @ebrowncurls
Shani Davis
Trains in Milwaukee
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @ShaniDavis
Brianna Decker
Dousman
Country: United States
Event: Women’s hockey
Interact: @Bdecker14
Alyson Dudek
Hales Corners
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @alydudek
Meghan Duggan
University of Wisconsin alumna
Country: United States
Event: Women’s hockey
Interact: @mduggan10
Simon Moser
Milwaukee Admirals
Country: Switzerland
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @swissteam
Tucker Fredricks
Janesville
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @tuckerfredricks
Dan Hamhuis
Former Milwaukee Admiral
Country: Canada
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @HC_Men
Brian Hansen
Milwaukee
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @BrianTHansen
Jeff Isaacson
UW-Superior alumnus
Country: United States
Event: Curling
Interact: @LaZylkE_14
Amanda Kessel
Madison
Country: United States
Event: Women’s hockey
Interact: @AmandaKessel8
Phil Kessel
Madison
Country: United States
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @PKessel81
Hilary Knight
University of Wisconsin alumna
Country: United States
Event: Women’s hockey
Interact: @Hilary_Knight
Jonathan Kuck
Milwaukee
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @jdkuck
Maria Lamb
River Falls
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @MariaTLamb
Emery Lehman
Trains in Milwaukee
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @Mry_the_Eman
Debbie McCormick
Rio
Country: United States
Event: Curling
Interact: @Deb_McCormick
Ryan McDonagh
University of Wisconsin alumnus
Country: United States
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @RMcDonagh27
Peter Olvecky
Former Milwaukee Admiral
Country: Slovakia
Event: Men’s hockey
Joe Pavelski
Plover
Country: United States
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @usahockey
Antti Pihlstrom
Former Milwaukee Admiral
Country: Finland
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @OlympicTeamFl
Allison Pottinger
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and UW-Oshkosh alumnae
Country: United States
Event: Curling
Interact: @APottinger
Johnny Quinn
Former Green Bay Packer
Country: United States
Event: Bobsled
Interact: @JohnnyQuinnUSA
Alexander Radulov
Former Milwaukee Admiral
Country: Russia
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @RADUL22
Jilleanne Rookard
Milwaukee
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @jmrookard
Oliver Setzinger
Former Milwaukee Admiral
Country: Austria
Event: Men’s hockey
Derek Stepan
University of Wisconsin alumnus
Country: United States
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @DerekStepan
Ryan Suter
Madison
Country: United States
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @rsuter20
Kimmo Timonen
Former Milwaukee Admiral
Country: Finland
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @OlympicTeamFl
Sugar Todd
Wauwatosa
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @sugarmotion
Jessie Vetter
Cottage Grove
Country: United States
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @Vetter31
Shea Weber
Former Milwaukee Admiral
Country: Canada
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @HC_Men
Blake Wheeler
Former Green Bay Gambler
Country: United States
Event: Men’s hockey
Interact: @BiggieFunke
Mitchell Whitmore
Waukesha
Country: United States
Event: Speedskating
Interact: @WhitmoreUSA
Jim Owczarski is an award-winning sports journalist and comes to Milwaukee by way of the Chicago Sun-Times Media Network.
A three-year Wisconsin resident who has considered Milwaukee a second home for the better part of seven years, he brings to the market experience covering nearly all major and college sports.
To this point in his career, he has been awarded six national Associated Press Sports Editors awards for investigative reporting, feature writing, breaking news and projects. He is also a four-time nominee for the prestigious Peter J. Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism, presented by the Chicago Headline Club, and is a two-time winner for Best Sports Story. He has also won numerous other Illinois Press Association, Illinois Associated Press and Northern Illinois Newspaper Association awards.
Jim's career started in earnest as a North Central College (Naperville, Ill.) senior in 2002 when he received a Richter Fellowship to cover the Chicago White Sox in spring training. He was hired by the Naperville Sun in 2003 and moved on to the Aurora Beacon News in 2007 before joining OnMilwaukee.com.
In that time, he has covered the events, news and personalities that make up the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, NCAA football, baseball and men's and women's basketball as well as boxing, mixed martial arts and various U.S. Olympic teams.
Golf aficionados who venture into Illinois have also read Jim in GOLF Chicago Magazine as well as the Chicago District Golfer and Illinois Golfer magazines.
