The 2008 Olympic Games are still rolling on, but Justin Spring already has a bronze medal draped around his neck and Deron Williams can see gold sparkling in the distance. Spring and Williams are two of seven current and former Illini athletes representing the University in Beijing, while trying to add more colors to the traditional orange and blue scheme.

Spring, an assistant coach for the Fighting Illini men’s gymnastics team, earned his bronze medal in the men’s team competition in gymnastics, and has proved to be the highlight for Illinois in Beijing. With 2004 gold medalist Paul Hamm and his brother, Morgan, dropping out with injuries just before the start of competition, Spring and his teammates had to prove to the world the depth they had as a team. Spring’s outstanding performances on high bar and vault helped the team finish higher than most expected.

“You spend your whole life, mostly the last four years of it, just truly dedicated to this moment,” Spring said prior to the competition. “It’s going to be nerve wracking competing in front of millions and millions of people, but that’s exciting, that’s awesome. That’s what you train your whole life for.”

Meanwhile, Williams and the “Redeem Team” have gone undefeated in Olympic pool play. Williams scored nine points in the team’s opener against Yao Ming and a tough Chinese team. The team won its first preliminary round game against Germany and will face Australia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

“It’s an honor for me to be on this team and an honor for me to represent my country in the Olympics,” Williams said before leaving for Beijing. “I’ve always dreamed about … playing in the Olympics, growing up watching the Dream Team and watching them get a gold medal. I’m just thrilled to death to have the opportunity and the privilege to play on this team and look forward to winning the gold medal.”

For former Illini tennis star Kevin Anderson, his time as a member of the South African delegation at the Games did not last long. Anderson only made it to the second round of singles play, and failed to advance past the first round of doubles.

Gakologelwang Masheto, a senior on the Illinois track team, represented his home country of Botswana in the 400m. But Masheto finished last in the first preliminary heat on Monday, and did not qualify for the semifinals.

Former Illini Susanna Kallur found a little more success on the track at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest. Representing Sweden, Kallur made the semifinals of the 100-meter hurdles, but failed to make the finals. Chris Robinson, a former catcher for the Illinois baseball team, has played for a streaky Canada team in what may be baseball’s last go-round in the Olympic Games. The Canadians have won just two of their seven games, but beat team China 10-0.

Senior Emily Zurrer rounds out the Illini delegation in Beijing, as a member of Canada’s first-ever women’s soccer team in the Olympic Games. The team made it out of pool play and to the quarterfinal round, where it eventually lost to the U.S.