Snapshot of U.S. Athletes and the 2008 Summer Olympic Games

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games take place in Beijing, China, from August 8 through August 24. The occasion marks the first time any Olympic Games (summer or winter) are held in China. The Olympic Torch Relay, dubbed the "Journey of Harmony," began on April 7th, kicking off the 130 day road to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, according to the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee.

For information on the controversy surrounding the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay view the article titled "Olympic Unrest."

In the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens, Greece, in 2004, the United States of America led all nations with 36 gold medals, 39 silver medals and 27 bronze medals for a total of 102 total medals, according to the International Olympic Committee website. The People's Republic of China acquired the second most gold medals, with 32, but the Russian Federation tallied more total medals, accumulating 92 (but only 27 gold) in comparison to China's 63 total medals.

At the 2000 Sydney, Australia, Summer Olympic Games, the United States, Russia and China finished as the top three Olympic medal recipients, tallying 98, 84 and 59 respectively, according to the International Olympic Committee website. Furthermore, at the 1996 Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Summer Olympic Games, the United States and Russia garnered the top two medal counts with 101 and 63, respectively. At the 1992 Barcelona, Spain, Summer Olympic Games, the Unified Team - consisting of former countries of the Soviet Union - led the medal count over the United States with 112 versus the USA's 108. However, since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Unified Team, the United States has won the medal count at every Summer Olympiad.

During the 2004 Olympics, the United States won 52 of their 102 medals in either swimming or track and field. At the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China, the United States returns with some of the prominent athletes who contributed to such a feat, including Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol, Natalie Coughlin and Jeremy Wariner.
Perhaps the most prominent American Olympic athlete is swimmer Michael Phelps. At the 2004 Olympics, Michael Phelps won six gold medals in the 100 meter butterfly, 200 meter butterfly, 200 meter individual medley, 400 meter individual medley, 4x100 meter medley relay and the 4x200 meter freestyle relay. American swimmer Michael Phelps also won two bronze medals in the 200 meter freestyle and the 4x100 meter freestyle relay. With a total of eight medals won at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps tied a record held by gymnast Aleksandr Dityatin, according to the official website of the Olympic Movement.

Michael Phelps will be 23 years old at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and one should not expect him to slow down his blistering medal-gathering pace. The record-breaking athlete swam to seven gold medals at the 2007 Melbourne, Australia, World Championships. At the 12^th FINA World Championships, the swimming prodigy set five world records, including four individual records, according to the 2007 Melbourne World Championships website.

Aaron Peirsol, who will be twenty-five years old at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, won three gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 100 meter backstroke, the 200 meter backstroke and the 4x100 meter medley, the latter as part of a relay team including Michael Phelps. Additionally, Aaron Peirsol won a gold medal and silver medal at the 2007 Melbourne World Championships in the 100 and 200 meter backstroke, respectively.

Natalie Coughlin was also a prominent American athlete at the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning five medals. The swimming star won two gold medals in the 100 meter backstroke and the 4x200 meter freestyle relay, two silver medals in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay and the 4x100 meter medley relay and one bronze medal in the 100 meter freestyle. Natalie Coughlin will turn twenty-six on August 23^rd, during the 2008 Olympics. Her hopes for medaling for the United States appear promising as she won five medals at the 2007 Melbourne World Championships.

Another notable American athlete to watch for is track star Jeremy Wariner, who won two gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 400 meters and the 4x400 meter relay, according to the official website of the Olympic Movement. Additionally, twenty-four year old track star Jeremy Wariner won two gold medals at the 2007 Osaka, Japan, World Championships in the 400 meters and the 4x400 meter relay, according to the 11^th IAAF World Championships website.

A potential newcomer to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team one should keep an eye on is Tyson Gay, a track star who will turn twenty-six on August 9^th, the day after the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Although he did not participate at the 2004 Athens Olympics, since he was still attending college, at the 2007 Osaka, Japan, World Championships, he won three gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 meter relay, according to the 11^th IAAF World Championships website.

Of course, all of the above athletes must first qualify for their Olympic events in June and July, but for any of them not to qualify would be astonishing. The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team trials for track and field will take place in Eugene, Oregon, from June 27^th through July 6^th, according to their website. The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team trials for swimming will take place in Omaha, Nebraska, from June 29^th through July 6^th, according to their website.

Once the aforementioned athletes qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team, they should be well situated to propel the United States to another medal count win in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, led by the veteran superstar Michael Phelps and newcomers like the speedy sprinter Tyson Gay.

(This article contains foreward looking statements, which may not prove to be accurate.)

For more information on Michael Phelps, visit his U.S. Olympic team biography page.

For more information on Aaron Peirsol, visit his U.S. Olympic team biography page.

For more information on Natalie Coughlin, visit her U.S. Olympic team biography page.

For more information on Jeremy Wariner, visit his U.S. Olympic team biography page.

For more information on Tyson Gay, visit his official website.

Other United States Olympic athlete bios can be viewed here.

Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) Press Release http://torchrelay.beijing2008.cn/en/news/headlines/n214296388.shtml

International Olympic Committee website for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=2004

International Olympic Committee website for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games

http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=2000

International Olympic Committee website for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games

http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1996

International Olympic Committee website for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games

http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1992

Olympic Movement website

http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=136177

2007 Melbourne World Championships website

http://www.melbourne2007.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=799

Olympic Movement website

http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/results/search_r_uk.asp

11^th IAAF World Championships website

http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/athletes/index.html#letter=W#athlete=189309

11^th IAAF World Championships website

http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/athletes/index.html#letter=G#athlete=185464

2008 Olympic track and field trials website

http://www.eugene08.com/

2008 Olympic swimming trials website

http://www.h2omaha.com/