Christian Olympians to watch

Our family loves watching the Olympics. Last night, we were transfixed by men's gymnastics, fencing, and even badminton, of all things!

Here are four Olympic athletes with unique Christian testimonies that you may want to keep an eye on:

Allyson Felix
(Track and Field - United States)

Allyson is the son of Paul Felix, a pastor who also happened to be my Greek professor at The Master's Seminary. In Athens, Allyson (aka "Chicken Legs") took silver in the 200m, which is her specialty event. This girl is fast. Very fast. She could win up to three gold medals in Beijing if she makes it on the U.S. 4x100m and 4x400m relays. Her first event is the 200m on August 19 at 11:20 am. Update on 8/21: Allyson won the 200m silver medal in a season best 21.93 seconds.


Jennifer Nichols
(Archery - United States)
Jennifer is from Cheyenne, Wyoming. She seems to have stunning accuracy, both in her archery and in her faith. On her NBC Olympic profile page, Jennifer says the Bible is her favorite book, and she openly confesses Jesus as her Savior and Lord. She has passed the Ranking Round and advanced to the Individual 1/16 Elimination Round. Her next archery match is on August 14 at 11:48 am. Update on 8/14: Jennifer lost to Nami Hayakawa from Japan in the 1/16 Elimination round. The score was 105-103. A close match!



Elvis Burrows
(Swimmer - Bahamas)
According to a school press release, Elvis is the son of an alum at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In fact, Elvis used to swim laps in the pool at the seminary. He will be competing in the Men's 50m Freestyle (Heat 8) on August 14 at 6:47 pm. Update on 8/14: Elvis swam the 50m in 23.19 seconds and took seventh place.


Ryan Hall
(Marathon - United States)
World Magazine reports that Ryan is a devout Christian who has given God all the glory for past victories: "It isn't the records, championships, or medals that make life fulfilling. It's the life of following Christ." Ryan is from Big Bear, California, and is scheduled to compete in the Olympic men's marathon on August 24.