Carol Zaleski, Orin Richburg and Rick Tucci have been to the Olympics many times and are headed to Beijing for the 2008 Games, but you won't find their names on any list of athletes.

They are among the thousands of people who coach, officiate and otherwise play a part in the Olympics. It's as big a deal for them as it is for those competing.

"It's the pinnacle," said Mr. Tucci, a former West Virginia wrestler and president of officials in the United States who is one of two American wrestling officials selected for Beijing. He will be mat chairman on the middle mat, which essentially is center stage.

This will be Mr. Tucci's sixth Olympics.

Mrs. Zaleski, of Fox Chapel, will be the first female deck referee for Olympic swimming. That might be groundbreaking, but it's not so much a step up for her as it is a change after a long history with the sport.

As chair of the technical swimming committee for FINA, the world governing body of swimming and related sports, from 1992-2005, Mrs. Zaleski was too busy during the past five Olympics supervising officials and timing to be able to serve as a referee. She's vice chairwoman now.

"On one hand it will be much easier because I will have one responsibility," she said. "On the other hand, it's hands-on. If there's an early start or false start, the referee and starter have to agree on it. I'm more directly involved."

Mr. Richburg, a Westinghouse High School graduate, is the U.S. track relay coach for these Games. He was a longtime track coach at the University of Washington and recently took over at New Mexico State.

One of his charges will be Rochester, Pa., native Lauryn Williams, the women's 100-meter silver medalist in 2004 who is a strong candidate to run in the 400 relay in Beijing.

"The eyes of the world are focused on the Olympics, and the coaching staff hopes that the preparation has been completed," Mr. Richburg said in an email interview.

Others with local ties who will be in Beijing include former Penn State wrestling standout Kerry McCoy, one of the U.S. coaches; John Wingfield, a Hempfield High School and IUP graduate who is the U.S. diving coach; Keith Gavin, a recent NCAA wrestling champion and Pitt graduate who will serve as a training partner for U.S. freestyle wrestler Andy Hrovat; and Dan Vitchoff, a California, Pa., native who is serving as a team psychologist for USA Shooting.

Mrs. Zaleski got involved with swimming through her children and then zoomed to the national and international level. She was president of U.S. Swimming from 1986-90 and 1994-98.

"I really had great experiences at the last five Olympics supervising the officials and the timing," she said.

Also rewarding was serving as the overall referee for the Olympic trials last month in Omaha, Neb.

"It was one of the best competitions we've ever had," Mrs. Zaleski said. "And no controversies."

Mr. Tucci got involved in refereeing while he was still at West Virginia. His senior season was derailed by a knee injury, so he worked as an undergraduate assistant and eventually began refereeing matches at Morgantown High School.

After moving to Florida for a teaching job -- he recently retired from that field -- he continued to referee. At a world junior championship in Miami Beach, Fla., he unexpectedly found himself serving as meet director when the original director fell ill.

"I had never even seen an international event," Mr. Tucci said.

It went well enough that he went to Montreal in 1976 just to watch the Olympic wrestling. He would have officiated in 1980 but honored the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games. He's worked every Olympics since except 1992, when he was not selected.

Mr. Richburg was track coach at the University of Washington for several years and recently became coach at New Mexico State.