Kentuckians represent their home state with pride

The Olympics is a special time when people worldwide marvel at the athletes trying to bring back some hardware to their home country. Olympic athletes train their entire lives to be able to represent their countries, and a few of those athletes just so happen to be Kentucky proud.

DeMarcus Cousins, left, Henri Junghanel, center, and Matt Hughes, right, all represented their home countries in this year's Olympics.
DeMarcus Cousins, left, Henri Junghanel, center, and Matt Hughes, right, all represented their home countries in this year’s Olympics.

Junghänel was a part of the 2013 University of Kentucky graduating class and was a four-time All-American on the Kentucky rifle team. This was Junghänel’s first Olympics and it may be assumed that with his success it won’t be his last.

From the 1992 USA Dream Team, which included legends like Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, to the 2004 USA Team, that included LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, the USA has had a pretty good track record with basketball in the Olympics.

Team USA might not have as much talent this year as they have in the past but that does not mean they are giving up hope for the gold.

Former University of Kentucky men’s basketball player DeMarcus Cousins, is a member of Team USA basketball this year. Cousins is arguably the best center in the NBA right now and he has been bringing his versatile skills to help represent his home country.Although Cousins and Junghänel may be the most talked about Kentucky names in this years’ Olympics, there are more Kentucky representatives.

The University of Louisville has some athletes representing them, including USA women’s basketball player Angel McCoughtry and Canadian track and field record holder, Matt Hughes.

Kentucky may not be the biggest or the most popular state, but it does take sports seriously, and this years’ Olympics confirms that.