CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After being postponed for a year, the 2020 Summer Olympics wrapped up Sunday in Tokyo and with it will be memories for a number of Chicago area natives who were Olympians.
St. Charles native Erin Virtue was the offensive coordinator for the U.S. women’s volleyball team, which took the gold medal in the Summer Games.
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According to the Chicago Tribune, Virtue was sidelined for several days after arriving in Japan, because someone on her flight tested positive for COVID-19, but that didn’t stop her. From her hotel, she watched the games via livestream and used a walkie-talkie app to share her game analysis with the team in real time.
Bartlett’s Kelsey Robinson played on that gold-medal winning team.
Alie Rusher, who was from Glenview, competed in the U.S. women’s quadruple sculls team, which finished fifth in its preliminary heat. According to the Tribune, Rusher’s father, John, was part of the men’s four crew that claimed bronze at the 1988 Games in Seoul; and as her mother, Cynthia Eckert, won silver with the women’s four in 1992 in Barcelona.
And Maggie Shea, who hails from Wilmette, came in 11th with her teammate Stephanie Roble in sailing; while Geneva native Kevin McDowell took home a silver medal in the team triathlon competition.
Meanwhile, Hyde Park native Eliza Stone lost in an early found in the fencing competition, but vowed to try again.
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