Fun with numbers, Olympic edition

6:49 PM, July 23, 2008

For the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Beijing Games is all a numbers thing.

But first a trivia question:

3: The number of states that do not have a representative on the U.S. Olympic team headed to Beijing. Name them (answer at the end).

Now for the real numbers.

596: The number of athletes on the U.S. team, 310 men and 286 women.

30: The number of sports, including the newest Olympic disciplines of BMX, open-water swimming and women's steeplechase.

2= 0: The U.S. will not compete in men's field hockey and team handball.

5 x 41 = 9: There are three five-time Olympians, including 41-year-old Dara Torres of L.A., who will swim at an Olympic Games for her third consecutive decade (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008). Torres will also enter the Games as the most decorated U.S. Olympic athlete, with nine Olympic medals to her name (four gold, one silver and four bronze).

12: The number of athletes who will be competing in their fourth Olympic Games.

8: The number of gold medals Michael Phelps is after as he looks to make history by surpassing Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in 1972.

1 + 3: Sheila Taormina (modern pentathlon) already made sports history when she became the first woman to qualify for the Olympics in three sports (swimming, triathlon and modern pentathlon). This will be her fourth U.S. Olympic team (1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008).

47: The number of states that will have athlete representatives competing in Beijing, based upon athletes' listed hometown affiliation.

175: The number of Olympic athletes who are from California, the most of any state.

4 > 50: Four members of the team competing in Beijing next month are over 50 years old. Distinction as the oldest goes to sailor John Dane III, who is 58. Libby Callahan (shooting) will become the oldest U.S. female Olympian of all time, at 56.

15: The age of the youngest team members, part of the women's 10-meter synchro team in diving. Mary Beth Dunnichay edges partner Haley Ishimatsu (of Seal Beach) as the youngest U.S. athlete.

3 + 1: Olympic history is being made as Steven, Mark and Diana Lopez (all taekwondo) become the first three siblings on the U.S. Olympic team since 1904. They will be coached in Beijing by their eldest brother, Jean.

20: The number of U.S. Olympic athletes who are mothers. Among them is Torres, as well as three-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie (Sparks) and 2004 Olympic champion Jennie Finch (softball/La Mirada).

Trivia answer: Montana, North Dakota and Vermont.

-- Debbie Goffa

Photo: Left to right, Mark, Steven and Diana Lopez. All three will compete in taekwondo. Credit: Pat Sullivan / Associated Press