Community Corner
Olympic Stars Named as Rose Parade Grand Marshals
BREAKING: The grand marshals of the 2017 Rose Parade in Pasadena will be Olympic standouts Allyson Felix, Greg Louganis and Janet Evans.
PASADENA, CA - The grand marshals of the 2017 Rose Parade will be Olympic standouts Allyson Felix, Greg Louganis and Janet Evans, Rose Parade officials announced Thursday.
"We each have those individuals that have made an impact on our lives," Tournament of Roses President Brad Ratliff said. "This year's theme, Echoes of Success, is a salute to those individuals. The impact that our three grand marshals have had on so many, both through their achievements and voices, truly is representative of our theme. The values exhibited by our Olympians and the richness in their backgrounds has given so many others the support, encouragement and drive to succeed, and we want to celebrate all that they have given."
The 128th Rose Parade theme is “Echoes of Success,” which “tells the story of how our character has developed through the selfless contributions of others and celebrates their inspirational gifts,” the Tournament of Roses website stated.
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Felix, a 30-year-old USC graduate born and raised in the Southland, is the only female track and field athlete to win six Olympic gold medals and is tied with Jamaican Merlene Ottey as the most decorated female track and field Olympian, with nine medals.
Louganis, born in El Cajon and raised in Orange County, is considered one of the top divers ever. The 56-year-old won gold medals in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics in both platform and springboard diving, making him the only male and second diver in Olympic history to sweep the diving events in consecutive Olympic Games.
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Evans, a Placentia native who graduated from USC, won a total of four gold medals in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics and set world records in the 4-meter, 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle events. Her 400-meter record lasted for 18 years until it was broken in 2006. Evans, 45, also won the 1989 Sullivan Award as America's top amateur athlete.
The 2017 Rose Parade will take place on Monday, Jan. 2.
- City News contributed to this report / Photo Courtesy of Tournament of Roses
