North Carolina sends strong contingent

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CORRECTION

A list in Sunday's 2008 Olympics Preview in the Sports section incorrectly included female marathoner Blake Russell with male track athletes. Russell's school affiliation was also incorrect. She attended UNC.

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More than 40 athletes with ties to North Carolina are headed to Beijing, China, to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Most of those athletes will represent the U.S., but some will compete for India, Puerto Rico and Colombia, among other nations. Some, such as distance runner Shalane Flanagan of Pittsboro, who has run the fastest time in the world this year in the 10,000 meters, are considered favorites. But anything can happen. "It's just on paper," Flanagan said. "That's why they run the race. Miracles can happen, and heartbreak stories come out."

Here is a list of eight athletes to keep an eye on this August, starting with Flanagan.

SHALANE FLANAGAN

Flanagan, who ran for UNC, returns to the Olympics with a different outlook than four years ago.

"I felt like I was a spectator last time," said Flanagan, who didn't make it to the final in the 5,000 meters in Athens. "I tasted a little bit of the chocolate cake last time, and now I want a bigger piece."

Flanagan holds the U.S. records in the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000. She will compete in the 10,000 on Aug. 15, and the preliminaries for the 5,000 start on Aug. 19.

LaSHAWN MERRITT

Entered the year ranked No. 2 in the world in the 400 meters and has twice beaten the top-ranked runner this year, American Jeremy Wariner.

Merritt, a Portsmouth, Va., native, attended East Carolina for a year.

So far this year, he's clocked the second-fastest time in the world.

HEATHER CORRIE

Corrie earned her spot on the U.S. kayaking team in the women's K-1 whitewater slalom earlier this month in Germany. She finished 16th in the semifinals at the Augsburg World Cup slalom race.

Corrie, who has been living and training in Charlotte, is originally from Great Britain. Her mother is American, and her father is British.

As a child, she spent summers with her grandparents in Minnesota, where she picked up paddling.

Lately, she's been training in the Netherlands.

KATE BARBER

Barber, who played for North Carolina, has been on the national field hockey team for 11 years. She is one of six members of the team who have played for the Tar Heels.

At UNC, she was a three-time, first-team All-America. The forward leads U.S. team members in international caps with 156.

CULLEN JONES

Jones narrowly missed an opportunity to compete in the 100-meter freestyle but will swim a leg of the 400 freestyle relay.

Jones was a member of the U.S. team that holds the world record in the 400 freestyle relay.

At the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., he set the U.S. record in the 50 freestyle, but Garret Weber-Gale broke it the following day.

Jones attended N.C. State but has trained in Charlotte this year.

HEATHER O'REILLY

O'Reilly is a key U.S. soccer veteran. She was a member of the 2004 squad that won Olympic gold in Athens.

She scored the winning goal in a semifinal win over Germany four years ago.

In February, UNC retired O'Reilly's No. 20 jersey.

SHANNON ROWBURY

Rowbury, who lives in San Francisco, ran for Duke.

In May, the distance runner clocked the sixth fastest time in the world in the 1,500 meters.

Her time of 4:01.61, is barely five seconds beyond the best time this year by Russia's Yelena Soboleva

BERSHAWN JACKSON

Jackson, who ran for St. Augustine's, still lives in Raleigh.

He took first place in the 400-meter hurdles during the Olympic trials in June after narrowly missing the 2004 Olympics with a fourth-place finish.

This year, he's run the second-fastest time in the world (48.15 seconds), behind only the 47.79 posted by U.S. hurdler Kerron Clement.