The 2016 Summer Olympics are almost here, and Team USA is ready and headed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Conversation about the U.S. athletes are picking up quickly with guesses about who will win what, and high hopes that the U.S. will win as many gold medals as possible. There are some back to defend their title, some for redemption and many here for the very first time hoping to make their mark in Olympic history. The following are several Olympians to keep an eye out for as they might be standing on top of a podium soon.
1. Nathan Adrian
Sport: Swimming
The two-time Olympian has had many successes in his past Olympics. In London 2012, Adrian won gold in the 100-meter freestyle for the U.S. for the first time since Matt Biondi in 1988. He also helped Team USA win another gold swimming in anchor freestyle leg for the 4 x 100-meter medley relay with Matt Grevers, Brendan Hansen and Michael Phelps.
2. Trayvon Bromell
Sport: Track and Field
Bromell is Track’s latest phenomenon. After coming in third behind runners Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin at the 2015 World Championship in 100-meters, he turned pro.
3. Chris Brooks
Sport: Artistic Gymnastics
Named as an alternate for London 2012, Brooks is definitely looking to step up his game in Rio. He has already has a great beginning by being the most consistent man in the field, hitting 24 out of 24 routines without any major mistakes and finishing second in the all-around Olympic Trials and P&G Championships; and finally being named captain for the U.S. men’s gymnastics teams.
4. Kassidy Cook
Sport: Diving
Suffering the heartbreak of injuring her shoulder after the 2012 Olympic Trials, Cook had to have surgery rather than compete. After a few years off, the diver is no longer sidelined and we’ll finally be able to watch her and her amazing dives in Rio.
5. Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas
Sport: Artistic Gymnastics
Douglas has already made her mark in Olympic Gymnastics history in 2012 when she became the first African-American woman and the first woman of color to win gold in individual all-around as well as the first U.S. gymnast to win both the team and individual all-around gold at the same Olympics. And she was only 16 — imagine what she can accomplish now.
6. Phillip Dutton
Sport: Equestrian
Eyes will be on this Olympian as he is the oldest member of Team USA at age 53, which is a 36-year difference between him and the youngest member, Kanak Jha (see below). We’ll see if the five-time Olympian still has it in him.
7. Ashton Eaton
Sport: Track and Field
Coming back to defend his title in Decathlon, Eaton is another one to watch in Rio because he keeps raising the bar. With a total of 9,045 points, he broke his own world record when he won at the 2015 World Championships. No doubt, he will be closely kept an eye on to see if he does it again.
8. Allyson Felix
Sport: Track and Field
Felix is the most decorated female with a total of six medals (four of them being gold). Eyes will be on the three-time Olympian to see if she can expand that record.
9. Connor Fields
Sport: Cycling
Representing the U.S. in men’s BMX, Fields didn’t get his happy ending when he placed seventh in London 2012. With four more years of training under his belt, maybe Fields has got what he needs to take gold in Rio.
10. Laurie Hernandez
Sport: Artistic Gymnastics
Considering the fact that she has already left her mark within the short time that she has been competing in the senior division of elite gymnastics, Hernandez is definitely one to watch for in Rio. At 16-years-old, she is the youngest member of this year’s U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team, and she finished second in the all-around competition on both days of the Olympic Trials.
11. Kanak Jha
Sport: Table Tennis
At age 16 and the first person born in the 21st century to compete, Jha is the youngest person to compete for the U.S. team in Rio. The table tennis prodigy had beat 2012 Olympian Timothy Wang, and has people wondering if he’ll get Team USA past the quarterfinals in Olympic Table Tennis for the first time ever.
12. Bernard Lagat
Sport: Track and Field
This four-time Olympian will make history as the oldest runner in the Olympics. At age 41, Lagat came from behind five runners in the final lap of the men’s 5,000-meter race finishing in first at 13 minutes and 35.5 seconds at the Olympic Trials.
13. Ryan Lochte
Sport: Swimming
Eleven-time Olympic medalist and three-time Olympian, Lochte will be competing in two events in Rio — 200-meter individual medley and 4 x 200-meter freestyle. He is tied for second among male swimmers with the most Olympic medals, and his seven individual medals are the second-most in men’s Olympic swimming.
14. Elizabeth "Beezie" Madden
Sport: Equestrian
This three-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medalist will be closely kept an eye on as she is the oldest woman on Team USA.
15. Sydney McLaughlin
Sport: Track and Field
McLaughlin is breaking world junior records and she hasn’t even graduated high school yet. She placed third in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympic Trials. At age 16, it makes her the youngest U.S. athlete to qualify for the Olympics in track and field since 1972.
16. Michael Phelps
Sport: Swimming
This was an automatic given. Phelps is known for being the most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 22 medals (18 gold, two silver and two bronze). Now qualifying for his fifth Olympics, he is the first swimmer to make five Olympic teams. All eyes will be on him to see if he can make his medal record even harder to reach.
17. Mallory Pugh
Sport: Soccer
At age 18, Pugh is the second-youngest player to make the team since 1904. When she made her debut for the national team, she was the youngest in 11 years, and as a forward player, she was the sixth youngest goal scorer in history.
18. Claressa Shields
Sport: Boxing
When she won gold in London 2012, Shields became the first U.S. boxer (male or female) to do so. Now at age 21, she has come back to defend her title.
19. Lexi Thompson
Sport: Golf
This 21-year-old has already made history when she was 19 as she became the second-youngest woman to win a major tournament in LPJA history at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Also, after 112 years, golf is back in the Olympics.
20. Laura Zeng
Sport: Rhythmic Gymnastics
This newcomer has already made some serious waves in the gymnastics world. As one of the youngest members of Team USA, Zeng has won the all-around competition, and three out of four individual events, at the 2016 USA Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. She is also the only U.S. woman to have won two world cup medals.
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio will be taking place from Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 21.
