Competed in two-man (K-2) 1,000-meter sprint for United States at 2004 Athens Olympics, reaching the semifinals before finishing seventh in that round of the competition … comes from a family of Olympians, with his mother Marcia earning a bronze in the K-1 500 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Games, while his father William competed in the same Olympics in the K-4 1,000 meters (eliminated in the second repechage) and his aunt, the late Sperry Rademaker, placed seventh in the K-2 500 meters at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Did not compete in intercollegiate athletics while attending Notre Dame, graduating from the the University in 2000 with his bachelor’s degree in finance … he picked up the sport of kayaking a year after his graduation as a means to remain physically fit, and three years later, he qualified for the Olympics.

Only athlete with Notre Dame connections ever to compete in an Olympic kayak, canoe or rowing event (although rower Amanda Polk is an alternate on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team) … he also is one of four athletes to qualify for the Olympics in a sport other than the one he competed in during his career at Notre Dame, a short list that also includes three-time (1988, 1992, 1996) U.S. modern pentathlete Mike Gostigian of the United (who was a fencer in college), two-time (2002, 2006) Hungarian bobsledder Marton Gyulai (ran track at Notre Dame), and 2000 U.S. triathlete Nick Radkewich (who also competed in track & cross country for the Fighting Irish).

A native of Buchanan, Mich., Smoke now makes his home in Chicago, where he works as a derivatives trader.

Jeff Smoke Jeff  Smoke

Olympics:
2004