Canton to Salute Olympic Gold Medalist Allison Schmitt

CANTON, MI — Swimmer Allison Schmitt, who claimed gold and silver medals at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games, will be honored Thursday at a community celebration honoring athletes with Canton ties.

Considered one of the best middle distance swimmers in the country, 26-year-old Schmitt won a gold medal in the 4x200 freestyle relay and and a silver medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay. The Canton High School graduate is a three-time Olympics medalist.

The celebration will be held at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Amphitheater, located next to the Summit on the Park at 46000 Summit Parkway in Canton. In the event of inclement weather, the celebration will be held in the Summit on the Park’s gymnasium, located at 46000 Summit Parkway, with entry limited to the first 400 participants, Canton Leisure Services

Schmitt, one of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team captains at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, previously won three gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics, as well as one bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The celebration will be hosted by WDIV-TV news anchor and reporter Kimberly Gill and WJR-AM’s Paul W. Smith, and will include a special presentation to Schmitt by Canton’s top elected official, Supervisor Phil LaJoy.

Hurdler Jeff Porter, a New Jersey native who has called Michigan home for a number of years, will also be honored. Porter, who currently works in the Michigan athletic department, finished the 110-meter hurdles in 13.45 seconds, the 10th fastest time in the semifinals.

Porter was an NCAA National Champion while at U-M and competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Porter is married to Tiffany Porter, also an Olympian who most-recently represented Great Britain in the Rio Olympics. It’s unclear if she will attend Canton's Hometown Olympic Heroes Celebration.

Images: Team USA via Flickr and, above, Getty Images