Global Athletes to Watch

SI Staff | Jul 26, 2012

Global Athletes to Watch /

Global Athletes to Watch

Rebecca Adlington

Adlington is a 23-year-old British freestyle swimmer who had immense success in Beijing. She won gold medals in the 400- and 800-meter freestyle events, breaking the world record in the 800 final.

Yohan Blake

Yohan Blake has been the talk of the track world recently after he beat training partner and world-record holder Usain Bolt in both the 100- and 200-meters during the Jamaican Trials. Blake hopes to have a coming-out party this summer in London, his first Olympic appearance.

Qiu Bo

Qiu Bo's hard work and determination on the diving platform was on full display at the FINA Diving World Series earlier this year, where he earned the title with a historic 25 perfect 10's from the judges. He is the favorite for the gold medal in the 10-meter dive, but hometown hero Tom Daley will be there to challenge him.

Usain Bolt

The reigning fastest man in the world is back on the stage that made him a global sensation four years. After a disappointing trials, where he lost to teammate Yohan Blake, he hopes to be 100 percent healthy and defend his golds.

Cesar Cielo

Cielo, the reigning world champion in the 50-meter butterfly and 50 freestyle, specializes in sprint events. He is the only Brazilian to ever win a swimming gold, having won the 50 free in Beijing, and he'll head to London eyeing gold in four events: 50 free, 100 free, 4x100 free relay and 4x100 medley relay.

Tom Daley

At age 18, he might appear to be young, but Tom Daley has been diving on the international stage since he was 9 years old. The young British star won the world championship in 2009, and has won the European championship twice. In this year's Olympics, he hopes to defeat Qiu Bo, the Chinese diver, in front of the hometown crowd.

Mo Farah

Farah was born in Somalia but later moved to England, where he has become an extremely decorated long-distance runner. He holds the European track record for the 10,000 meters, the European indoor record for the 5,000 and countless other British running records. He won the 5,000 at the world championship last year, and is seeking the first British Olympic gold medal in a long distance event since 1908.

Juliana Felisberta da Silva and Larissa Franca

The Brazilian pair of Juliana da Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca will be one of the favorites to win the gold medal in beach volleyball. Coming off a win at the Berlin Grand Slam in July, the Brazilians have the American pair of Kerri Walsh and Misty-May Treanor looking over their shoulder.

Manu Ginobili

A longtime NBA star for the San Antonio Spurs, Ginobili is the centerpiece of a very talented Argentina team, which has medaled (gold in 2004; bronze in 2008) in the previous two Olympics. It will likely be the 34-year-old's last Olympic Games.

Lauren Jackson

Standing at 6-foot-6, Lauren Jackson is a constant threat in the paint for this year's Australian team. A three-time WNBA MVP, Jackson has averaged 19.2 points and 7.8 rebounds during her 11-year career.

Aliya Mustafina

Mustafina is a 17-year-old Russian gymnast who is entering the Olympics coming off a devastating torn ACL suffered in April of last year. After countless hours of rehabilitation, she returned at the European championships and helped Russia to the team silver. The Russians think that Mustafina has a real chance to medal in the all-around competition in London.

Neymar

Brazilian forward Neymar has been the next great player in soccer since he was 14 years old. Now at 20 years old, and after scoring 110 goals in four years for Santos, he has a chance to be the biggest star on a Brazilian team that, on paper, is arguably the best team at the Olympics.

Federica Pellegrini

The 23-year-old Italian swimmer is the current world-record holder in both the women's 200- and 400-meter freestyle. She disappointed in the 400 in Beijing, but was able to set the aforementioned 200 world record en route to gold.

Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius, who had both legs amputated when he was 11 months old, was able to overcome the odds and become an Olympic sprinter for the South African team. "Blade Runner" posted a time of 45.07 in the 400 meters in July, which gave him the 'A' standard needed for both the 2011 world championship and this year's Olympics. Even though he wasn't selected for the final in the 2011 world championship, he became the first amputee to win an able-bodied world track medal after his silver in the 4x400 relay. He hopes to do the same in London.

Stephanie Rice

Rice is a 24-year-old swimmer from Brisbane, Australia and the current world-record holder in the women's 400-meter individual medley. She took home three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and looks to improve on that total in the upcoming weeks in London as she fights through shoulder troubles.

Dayron Robles

The 25-year-old Cuban set the world record in the 110-meter hurdles in 2008 with a time of 12.87 seconds. He won the gold at the Beijing Olympics in 12.93 seconds, but will face stiff competition from China's Liu Xiang in London this year.

David Rudisha

Rudisha is the best 800-meter runner in the world and holds the record with a time of 1:41.01. The reigning world champion is making his first Olympic appearance.

Caster Semenya

The South African 800-meter runner became famous when the IAAF decided to give her a gender test following her 2009 world championship gold medal. Despite the controversy, she kept her eye on the prize and recently won silver in the 800 at the 2011 world championship.

Kohei Uchimura

The Japanese artistic gymnast, who has won the last three all-around world titles, is the gold medal favorite in London. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics he won the all-around silver medal, and another silver in the team event.

Liu Xiang

Xiang won the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, but had to pull of the 2008 Games after injuring himself on a false start. He is expected to be in 2004 form in London, even at age 29.

Published Jul 26, 2012

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