Glory at the Olympics is always viewed as the epitome in any sportsperson’s career. There have been several athletes over the years who have made it to the top in their field of sports but failed at the Olympics. But there are some of the greats who have excelled in the Olympics too.
At Rio 2016, we will not get to see a few of the star players because they have been forced to withdraw due to injuries, or because they have decided not to go because of the Zika virus. But, there are those who take pride in representing their nation and have qualified in their respective sports.
We take a look at these star performers who will be watched by the millions throughout the world because they are the best at what they do and a good showing will be expected from them come the Olympics.
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#1 Usain Bolt (Jamaica)
The 11-time World Champion in sprinting will again be expected to make his mark in the Rio Olympics as he looks to win his third consecutive 100 metres individual, 200 metres individual and the 4x100 metres relay. The “Lightning Bolt” has not yet announced if he will be fit in time for the Olympics as he is nursing his grade one hamstring tear in Germany.
But if he does compete, all eyes will be on the fastest man on the planet.
The Jamaican has won a tally of six gold medals at the Olympics. He won his first three golds when he made his debut at the Olympics in Beijing 2008 (100m, 200m and 4x100m relay). His career took a flight from there and he bagged another three medals in the same categories in the London 2012 Olympics.
His undisputed record at the Olympics means that he will be the favourite to land a hattrick of victories for Jamaica in all the above three mentioned races if he recovers in time.
#2 Serena Williams (USA)
Serena Williams is a four-time gold medallist at the Olympics and will be looking to add more to her tally when she competes at Rio 2016. The American is currently competing at the Wimbledon Championships in London but will be leading a host of star tennis players who will be featuring in Brazil.
The younger of the Williams sisters has won 3 gold medals in women’s doubles partnering her elder sister, Venus Williams. The two sisters will again be the favourites to make it a hattrick of Olympic gold medals. Serena will also be competing in the women’s singles and mixed doubles event.
She will also look to win the singles’ medal but will face stiff competition from the likes of Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki. Her mixed doubles partner is not yet decided as it will be announced on the spot only.
#3 Michael Phelps (USA)
When Michael Phelps had retired after the 2012 London Olympics, everybody thought it was the end of an era in which the American became the most decorated Olympian of all time. But Phelps stunned the entire sporting world, when in 2014 he announced that he will be coming out of retirement and start competing again.
He has since qualified for the Olympics after winning the 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley events at the US Trials last week.
The all-time best athlete at the Olympics will be competing at his fifth Olympics in Rio. He has previously won 22 medals at the Olympics – 18 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze. He will be defending his 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley gold medals and should be competing all the three men’s relays at Rio 2016. He could snap up six more medals this time around.
#4 Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia)
Yelena Isinbayeva is a pole-vaulter from Russia who has thrice won the World Championship in pole vaulting in 2005, 2007 and 2013. But the Russian will only be competing at the Rio Olympics if her request to participate is accepted by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
Isinbayeva has been in the news as she has come out and said that she will go to a court if she is not allowed to participate in the Olympics as a ban would be “a violation of human rights”.
Her fate depends on the Court of Arbitration for Sports’ (CAS) ruling on the matter which will be announced on 21st July,2016. If the ruling goes in the favor of the athletes, the Russian will be making her fourth appearance at the Olympics in Rio. She has previously won the gold medals at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.
She finished third in the last London 2012 Olympics, winning a bronze medal. The Russian has promised to add a third gold medal to her tally by winning at Rio 2016.
#5 Chen Long (China)
The two-time world champion in badminton will feature in only his second Olympics in Rio. He is considered as the best male badminton player of China currently. His Olympics journey started well in London 2012 where he managed a bronze medal when he was defeated by Lee Chong Wei in the semi-final match.
But the 27-year old two-time All England champion will have a second go a the gold medal when he takes part in Brazil.
The Chinese qualified for the Olympics automatically as he was in the top three in the men’s rankings guaranteeing him a place at Rio 2016. As of the latest rankings declared on June 9, 2016, he occupies the second spot. He will be competing in the men’s singles competition for his country and will have a very good chance to deny his fellow compatriot, Lin Dan, to bag the Olympics gold medal.
#6 Roger Federer (Switzerland)
Roger Federer is 34-years old and will turn 35 in the middle of the Olympics on 8th August, 2016. But this man never stops. He has won everything there is in the tennis world, but he is still at it, every year every tournament. But the Swiss has not won any major medals at the Olympics.
He has previously won the gold medal in men’s doubles at Beijing 2008 when he partnered Stanislas Wawrinka. However, his attempts at winning the men’s singles gold have not been successful as he has had to face tough opponents in the finals. The closest he came was at London 2012 where he was defeated in the final by Andy Murray, thereby, only winning a silver medal.
Federer will be competing in Rio with full throttle as he will be in three events – men’s singles; men’s doubles (with Stanislas Wawrinka) and mixed doubles (with Martina Hingis). The great tennis player will be looking to add another major title in the form of a gold medal when he takes court in Brazil.
#7 Neymar (Brazil)
The Barcelona man will be featuring for Brazil in the Rio Olympics as one of the three over-age players in their squad. The 24-year old winger will come back into the Brazil side having sat out the recently concluded Copa America Centenario in USA.
The Brazilian was not allowed to play in the Copa America by his club Barcelona but has been allowed to play in the Olympics. He will be going into the tournament as Brazil’s captain and will look to win the gold for his side.
Neymar has previously won the silver medal with Brazil at the 2012 London Olympics where his side lost to Mexico in the final. But his country will be looking up to him when they try to win the gold medal in their own backyard. The youngster had won a double with Barcelona in the recently concluded season and will be looking to add to his laurels.
#8 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Novak Djokovic has been ruling tennis since 2011 having won 11 Grand Slam titles since then. But the Serbian has never won an Olympic gold medal. He has participated in two Olympics so far – Beijing 2008 and London 2012. He had won a bronze medal in his first attempt in China where he beat James Blake in the bronze medal match.
But in London 2012, he could not manage to beat Del Potro for the bronze medal and hence finished fourth.
The Serbian has been eliminated from the Wimbledon Championship by an American, Sam Querrey, in the third-round. Hence, he will be looking to end the year on a high if he represents his country in the Olympics in Rio. But after the loss to Querrey, Djokovic had said that he may consider pulling out of the Olympics in order to relax himself before the next season commences.
If the Serb decides not to go, it will be a big loss for tennis, but it might be a better chance for the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
#9 Mo Farah (Great Britain)
The British distance runner will be participating in his third Olympics at Rio 2016. The African-origin runner has won two gold medals at the Olympics, both in London 2012, where he won them in the 5000m and 10000m categories. He has also won the gold medals in the same categories in the 2015 World Championship in Athletics.
Farah started his preparations for the Rio Olympics with a win in the Prefontaine Classic 10,000 metres race in Oregon, USA.
Though, age is just a number, Mo Farah has been widely regarded as the best ever due to his ability to perform without age on his side. The 33-year old distance runner will be looking to defend both his medals when he represents his country at the Games in Brazil.
#10 Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain)
Bradley Wiggins is a professional road and track racing cyclist who has won seven Olympic medals in his career. The 36-year old cyclist had won his first Olympic medal in the 2000 Sydney Games in the team pursuit category. He won a gold, a silver and a bronze at the 2004 Athens Games.
But in Beijing 2008, he bagged two gold medals – in team pursuit and in individual pursuit. The highlight of his career was when he won a gold in time trial in the London Olympics in 2012 to bring his tally to seven medals.
This means that Wiggins is now just a medal short of being the most decorated British Olympian of all time. He is also a winner of the Tour de France. It will be Wiggins’ fifth Olympic games when he represents his country in the track cycling at Rio 2016.
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