ORLANDO, Fl. – Friday marked the final day of sports competition for Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) athletes and Unified partners at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.
Team Michigan, represented by a delegation of 74, spent the week celebrating the joy of sport with more than 5,500 other Special Olympics athletes and 1,500 coaches from around the nation and the Caribbean. The time in Orlando was not all about winning or losing, but the perseverance of those committed to creating a more inclusive world.
Team Michigan’s message on and off the field shined bright throughout the week, cheering on their competitors and one another. The delegation will travel home Sunday with 19 medals in tow, including 10 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze.
Medal breakdown:
Athletics
- Julian Borst, Kalamazoo
- 10000m – Gold
- 5000m – Gold
- 3000m – Silver
- Download B-Roll here.
- Tyler Lawton, Newaygo
- Shot put – Bronze
- Long jump – Bronze
- 100m – Gold
- Download B-Roll here.
Bowling
- Brice Chase, Milford
- Doubles, Gold
- Singles, Gold
- Tyler Baxter, Pickney
- Team Game, Gold
- Doubles, Silver
- Christina Homminga, Essexville
- Doubles, Silver
- Amanda Davis, Big Rapids
- Doubles, Silver
- Download B-Roll here.
Traditional Basketball
- Silver
- Team Pontiac
- Download B-Roll here.
Traditional Softball
- Gold
- Team Downriver
- Download B-Roll here.
Swimming
- Kaitlin Konynenbelt, Zeeland
- 50m backstroke, Gold
- Download B-Roll here.
Unified Basketball
- Silver
- Team Flint
- Download B-Roll here.
Unified Golf
- Gold
- Alikhan Amlani (athlete), Fenton
- Kurt Chapelle (Unified partner), Fenton
- Download B-Roll here.
Unified Soccer
- Bronze
- Holland Christian
- Download B-Roll here.
Team Michigan will celebrate a week of competition awards presentation throughout Saturday and the official Closing Ceremonies Saturday evening. At Closing Ceremonies, The Flame of Hope will be extinguished signifying the end of the 2022 USA Games.
Sunday, the delegation will travel home to Michigan, arriving in Detroit in mid-afternoon. By late-afternoon, athletes can be welcomed home in three locations: Flint, Grand Rapids, and Holland.
Competition highlights will be broadcast live June 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on ABC/ESPN3. A complete media kit, including logos, photos, and additional B-Roll can be viewed here.