MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — The South Dakota delegation to the Special Olympics USA Games competition finished in fourth place in terms of overall medal count, and Mitchell athletes played a huge part in the success.
Michael Cohu secured a bronze in the 50-yard freestyle and just missed the podium, finishing fourth in the 25-yard backstroke. Cohu, a native of Mitchell and 43 years old, wasn’t the only South Dakota swimmer making waves at the University of Minnesota’s Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center the past week. Kourtney Krebs of Spearfish got a gold in the 100-yard backstroke. John McHale of Sioux Falls got a silver and a bronze in various individual events. Cohu, Krebs, McHale, and Addison Whitney from Rapid City took part in a unified medley, finishing with silver medals.
The other three Mitchell athletes on the South Dakota roster competed together in softball. Scott Goldammer, Brandon Wolff, and Riley Wolff were part of a squad that finished with a silver medal. South Dakota fell to Team Minnesota on their home turf in the championship game.
The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games were hosted by the Twin Cities.