Rebecca Soni led a group of Trojan athletes past and present that continued USC’s Olympics success with 21 medals in Beijing.

USC athletes added nine gold, 10 silver and two bronze medals – more medals than at Athens in 2004 or Sydney in 2000 – to its impressive Olympics resume, bringing the university’s all-time tally to 121 gold, 76 silver and 60 bronze. It was Troy's second highest overall medal count, behind only the 24 medals it won at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

If USC athletes had competed as a country this year, they would have placed 13th in the overall medal standing in the Beijing Games (and tied for eighth in golds). USC athletes have taken home at least one gold medal from every Summer Olympics since 1912.

In all, 40 Trojan athletes competed at the Olympics, extending USC’s record total of all-time Olympians to 384.

For a complete list of USC's 2008 Olympic results, past stories and photos of this year's gold medal winners, visit http://www.usc.edu/olympians

“The entire Trojan Family is extremely proud of the performance of our current and former athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics,” USC athletic director Mike Garrett said.

“Once again, USC athletes came through in big ways and represented their countries – and their university – in spectacular fashion. To win 21 medals – more than most countries in the world – is simply amazing, but that’s the Olympic standard we’ve come to expect with our Trojan athletes. My congratulations go to each and every one of the 40 Trojans who competed in Beijing, whether they won a medal or not.”

Soni, a senior majoring in communications, led the way with three swimming medals, a gold in the 200-meter breaststroke, a silver in the 100-meter breaststroke and another silver in the 400-meter medley relay.

She set a world record in 2 minutes and 20.22 seconds to win the gold, upsetting former record holder Leisel Jones of Australia.

The feat came two years after Soni underwent surgery to remove scar tissue around her heart that sometimes forced her heart to race up to 400 beats per minute.

“It’s been a long road to get here,” Soni said shortly after her gold-medal performance. “I can't believe what just happened.”

Allyson Felix was the other USC representative to win multiple medals. The May graduate, who never competed for the Trojans because of her professional status, helped the U.S. to a gold medal in the 1,600-meter relay and took a silver in the 200 meters.

Felix hoped to improve on the silver in the 200 meters that she won in Athens. Despite dropping her time by .25 to 21.93 seconds, she again finished second to Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica. Felix had beaten Campbell-Brown last year at the World Championships.

“It would be ungrateful for me to say that I’m disappointed with a silver medal when so many people don’t get the opportunity,” Felix said. “I’m grateful. I’m going to hold my head up and be proud of it.”

Felix was scheduled to run in the final of the 400-meter relay but wouldn’t get the chance when the team, which also included Angela Williams ’02 and Torri Edwards ’99, dropped the baton in the semifinals and was disqualified, likely costing all three of them a medal.

But Felix got redemption in her last race of the meet, running a 48.55-second split – the fastest lap of any of the 32 women in the final – to win her first gold medal as part of the 1,600-meter relay.

Ous Mellouli ’06 became a national hero for his native land of Tunisia, bringing the small African country its only medal in Beijing and just its second gold medal ever by winning the 1,500-meter freestyle in swimming.

Mellouli, who never won an NCAA title in college, upset world-record holder Grant Hackett of Australia. Mellouli is now the second-fastest swimmer in the history of the event.

Erik Vendt ’03 and Klete Keller ’02 also took home swimming golds as members of the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team. Larsen Jensen ’07 added a bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.

Tasha Danvers ’00 won a bronze medal for Great Britain with a personal best in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles.

USC athletes excelled in team sports, led by gold medals from Lisa Leslie ’94 and Tina Thompson ’97 on the U.S. women’s basketball team.

Leslie and Thompson both started for the U.S., which dominated opponents by an average of 38 points. It’s the fourth gold medal for Leslie.

“In my fourth Olympics, to have four gold medals, it obviously shows a level of dominance that I’ve been able to participate in with so many great players,” Leslie said. “It would be shameful to try to take all the credit for myself when I’ve had so many awesome teammates. So, for me, I just pass that on to my teammates that will go on in the future to represent our country.”

Amy Rodriguez, who is entering her senior year, set up the game-winning goal in overtime to lead the U.S. to a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the gold-medal game for women’s soccer.

Gabe Gardner ’97 helped the U.S. men’s volleyball team to an upset of defending Olympic champion Brazil for the gold medal. Nicole Davis ’03 helped the U.S. women’s volleyball team to a silver medal that included impressive upsets of Italy and Cuba.

USC athletes just missed out on five more gold medals in women’s water polo.

The U.S. team lost 9-8 to the Netherlands in the final. USC junior Kami Craig and alums Patty Cardenas ’07, Brittany Hayes ’07, Moriah Van Norman ’06 and Lauren Wenger ’06 each contributed with goals in their first Olympics to earn silver medals.

The U.S. men’s water polo team, with USC junior J.W. Krumpholz, also took silver.