With over 11,000 athletes competing in 42 sporting disciplines, the next two weeks will undoubtedly feature some incredible moments that will go down in Olympic history.
Here are 16 candidates likely to create such moments in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this month.
Athletics
Usain Bolt (JAM)
Date of birth: August 21, 1986
The world’s fastest man is looking to finish his Olympics career with a bang, as he hopes to become the first man to pull-off the triple-triple – winning 100m, 200m, and 4x100m gold for a third straight Games. A hamstring problem in the build-up forced him to miss the Jamaican Trials last month but his showing at the London Anniversary Games implies he’s fit and ready to go.
Genzebe Dibaba (ETH)
Date of birth: February 8, 1991
Following in the footsteps of her older sisters, Ejegayehu (10,000m silver medallist in Athens 2004), and Tirunesh (three-time Olympic gold medallist), Genzebe has been tipped to even surpass her siblings’ success. Broke the 22-year-old world record in the 1,500m in Monaco last year and is hot favourite for gold in that event.
Genzebe Dibaba
Cycling
Chris Froome (GBR)
Date of birth: May 20, 1985
After becoming the first man to defend the Tour de France title since 1995, Froome is gunning for more glory as he targets a double-gold in the Time Trial and the Road Race. The Kenyan-born Brit already has an Olympics bronze medal from the Time Trial in London four years ago and looks to do even better in the Games in Brazil.
Chris Froome
Football
Neymar (BRA)
Date of birth: February 5, 1992
The Barcelona forward will captain Brazil in their quest to capture an elusive Olympic gold medal in men’s football. One of three players over the age of 23 in Brazil’s squad, Neymar is tasked with bringing his nation a first football Olympic gold, with the added pressure of it being on home soil. Rio will be a true test of character for the talismanic striker.
Neymar
Mallory Pugh (USA)
Date of birth: April 29, 1998
The only non-professional on Jill Ellis’ Team USA roster, Pugh is tipped to steal the spotlight in Rio. The 18-year-old is the second youngest player to suit up for a US Olympic football team and is considered the future face of US soccer. The teenager scored on her senior national team debut back in January and has scored two more since, along with a teamhigh seven assists.
Basketball
Kevin Durant (USA)
Date of birth: September 29, 1988
Following a much-discussed, highprofile switch from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Golden State Warriors, the 27-year-old Durant will be targeting his second Olympic gold medal with basketball’s Team USA. With team-mates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green also on the roster, we’ll be getting a sneak preview of what’s to come next season with the Warriors.
Wrestling
Saori Yoshida (JPN)
Date of birth: October 5, 1982
Japan’s unbeaten warrior, daughter of Eikatsu Yoshida, an Olympic freestyle champion at Tokyo 1964, is the most decorated athlete in freestyle wrestling history and will be going for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Rio to maintain her perfect record at the Games. Yoshida is the first female captain of the Japan national team and has won 13 straight world titles dating back to 2002.
Saori Yoshida
Golf
Henrik Stenson (SWE)
Date of birth: April 5, 1976
The world No5 is the hottest player in golf right now, having won two titles in his last three starts, including the Open Championship at Royal Troon. An unabashed fan of Olympics, the 40-year-old Stenson’s confidence is at an all-time high and he is eager to give his season a golden shine.
Lydia Ko (NZL)
Date of birth: April 24, 1997
The world No1 Korean-born New Zealander will be leading the ladies field as golf makes its return to the Olympics schedule.
The two-time major winner was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2014. When she rose to No1 as a 17-year-old last year, she became the youngest player ever – male or female – to top the golf world rankings.
Lydia Ko
Diving
Qiu Bo (CHN)
Date of birth: January 31, 1993
The three-time reigning 10m platform World Champion was shocked by David Boudia in London 2012 and ended up taking a surprising silver. Will be seeking redemption in Rio as he hopes to best Boudia and Tom Daley.
Ren Qian (CHN)
Date of birth: February 20, 2001
Aged 14, Ren Qian won silver in the 10m platform at the World Championships in Kazan last year. The teenage prodigy scored a perfect 10 in a Diving World Cup in February and is a definite medal contender for China.
Ren Qian
Swimming
Michael Phelps (USA)
Date of birth: June 30, 1985
With 22 Olympic medals including 18 gold, is there any reason why Phelps is still swimming? The answer is: Yes. Phelps will not just be shooting for more history in the pool in Rio, he’ll also be seeking redemption. Following a second DUI and some time spent in rehab, Phelps wants to see how far he can go when he’s fully fit and committed. We’re curious as well.
Katie Ledecky (USA)
Date of birth: March 17, 1997
At just 19, it is truly remarkable what Ledecky has already achieved. Besides her 800m freestyle gold in London – whichshe won when she was 15 with the second-fastest performance ever – Ledecky owns nine World Championship (50m) golds and has set 11 world records, including her current marks in the 400, 800and 1,500m freestyle.
Katie Ledecky
Gymnastics
Simone Biles (USA)
Date of birth: March 14, 1997
The London Olympics was historic for US gymnastics with the “Fierce Five” winningjust the second-ever team gold for USAand Gabby Douglas becoming the first African-American all-round gold medallist. Yet Biles is somehow creating an even bigger buzz ahead of Rio as arguably the most dominant gymnast of all-time.
She’s won three consecutive World Championships – the first to do so – and owns 14 World Championship medals, including 10 gold, in just three years at the senior level.
Tennis
Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Date of birth: May 22, 1987
With a sole bronze medal from Beijing 2008, Djokovic will be fiercly chasing Olympic gold in Rio, where he is playing doubles alongside Nenad Zimonjic, and is the top seed in the singles draw.
After completing the career Grand Slam by winning an elusive French Open title in June, Olympic gold appears to be the only accolade missing from Djokovic’s resume.
Novak Djokovic
Serena Williams (USA)
Date of birth: September 26, 1981
Already the owner of four Olympic gold medals, dating back to Sydney 2000, Serena is in contention for at least two more as she headlines the women’s field in singles and is joining Venus in doubles action.
Fresh off a Wimbledon title triumph that saw her equal Steffi Graf’s Open Era record off 22 grand slams, Olympic gold is now the next main target for the American tennis queen.