SNAPSHOT — JAKE GIBB
Birthdate: Feb. 6, 1976
Hometown: Bountiful, Utah
Current Residence: Costa Mesa, CA
Height: 6'7"
College: University of Utah
Partner: Sean Rosenthal
M&F: As an NBA fan, you grew up watching the NBA Dream Team compete. What's it like to know you're going to be playing on the same world stage?
Jake Gibb: It's awesome. And I think we're staying in the same hotel as the NBA guys, so that's even better. But as far as volleyball goes, winning a gold medal is the pinnacle of our sport, so that's what I want.
M&F: We know you like hoops, but are you a fan of any other Olympic sports?
JG: Oh yeah. Growing up, I feel like it was always on in my house. I love it all. The swimming, gymnastics, track...something about the Olympics just gets me going. I'd watch lawn bowling if it was an Olympic sport.
M&F: And now you're going to be there representing the U.S. Did you do any kind of special training to make sure you qualified?
JG: I did. I put a lot of work in early in the season. I actually overloaded the first few months, making sure that I was working out all the time. Since our goal was to qualify for the Olympics, I even used other tournaments as training. This way I could taper down as we got closer to July for the main qualifiers and ultimately the Olympics.
M&F: The other American team, Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers is the No. 1 seed, but you just beat them in Long Beach. Are you thinking about winning the gold?
JG: First off, I don't really think of Phil and Todd as competitors. They're the No. 1 seed, but when we're not playing them, I'm going to be cheering as hard as I can for them. I hope to see them in the finals.
M&F: Aside from your fellow Americans, what other countries are you paying attention to?
JG: We're in a tough pool. Germany's good. So are the Netherlands.
M&F: Do you have tape on them to study or do you have to wait to check them out in person in Beijing?
JG: We actually have plenty of video of them playing. We'll be able to study up on them and be ready when we play.
M&F: And we hope that preparation turns into a gold medal for you guys. Good luck in Beijing.
JG: Thanks!
>> For more on Jake Gibb and the rest of the USA Beach Volleyball contingent, visit www.usavolleyball.org/beach.
>> For more information on the AVP, head over to www.avp.com.
>> For info on other U.S. athletes, go to www.usolympicteam.com.
>> For Olympic schedules, rosters and start times, visit www.enbeijing2008.cn.
>> For NBC's Olympic coverage, head over to www.nbcolympics.com.
