Since 1956, Pepperdine has developed a distinguished association with the Olympic Games, as nearly 50 members of the university community have gone on to participate in the Olympics as either a player or a coach.
In fact, when the 1984 Summer Games were conducted in metropolitan Los Angeles, Pepperdine's own Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool served as the venue for the water polo competition.
Waves have won a total of seven gold medals, eight silver medals and three bronze medals. Here is a list of which Pepperdine alums have medaled at each Olympics (coaches are not listed since they do not receive medals):
1964
SILVER: USA women's track 4x100 relay (Marilyn White) SILVER: USA modern pentathlon team (David Kirkwood)
1984
GOLD: USA men's volleyball (Craig Buck) SILVER: USA women's volleyball (Linda Chisholm) SILVER: USA men's water polo (Terry Schroeder)
1988
GOLD: USA men's volleyball (Craig Buck, Bob Ctvrtlik, Jeff Stork & Troy Tanner) SILVER: USA men's water polo (Terry Schroeder) BRONZE: USA men's tennis singles (Brad Gilbert)
1992
BRONZE: USA men's volleyball (Bob Ctvrtlik & Jeff Stork)
2000
GOLD: USA beach volleyball (Dain Blanton)
2008
GOLD: USA men's volleyball (Sean Rooney) SILVER: USA men's water polo (Merrill Moses & Jesse Smith) SILVER: Sweden men's tennis doubles (Simon Aspelin)
If coaches did receive medals, however, Pepperdine coaches would add another six gold medals (Dunphy 1988 and 2008, Sato 1988, Sicoli 2012, Tanner 2008, Vernovage 2000), two silver medals (Dunphy 2012, Schroeder 2008) and one bronze medal (Sato 1992) to the Waves' haul.
Here is a list of athletes and coaches who attended Pepperdine and have taken part in the Olympics:
Pepperdine alum Harry Nelson, who was on the inaugural football team in 1946, holds the Guinness World Record for most Summer Olympics attended. He went to the Guinness headquarters while in London in 2012 and shot this video:
