 Usain Bolt |
By Kang Seung-woo
It is natural for people to cheer and support only the athletes representing their nation at the Olympics.
This time around they are likely to go beyond single-minded patriotism at the London Olympics, which start on Saturday morning (KST), by also rooting for sports celebrities from other countries.
Each country is dispatching star professional athletes familiar to sports fans from all over the globe in a bid to bring home more gold medals.
Among the celebrities are notable athletes in track and field, top-ranked tennis players, the U.S. men’s basketball team and a slew from several other sports.
The men’s 100-meter race has consistently been the biggest draw at every Summer Games and the London edition is expected to be the same thanks to a competition featuring the Jamaican duo of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake and American sprinters Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin, who will all want to claim the title of the fastest runner in the world.
Four years ago, Bolt sprinted to the 100-meter gold in style and set the world record of 9.69 seconds. He is undoubtedly looking to repeat the shortest dash in the sport.
The race for a second straight gold medal is likely to be bumpy due to emerging compatriot Blake, who is Bolt’s workout partner and a defending world champion at this distance.
The 22-year-old beat Bolt, a triple gold medalist in Beijing, in the 100 and 200 at the Jamaican national trials last month.
In addition to Blake, Gay, a former world champion, and Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic winner who is restoring his reputation after a doping ban, are showing they are also legitimate contenders for the Olympic title.
The would-be final Olympic participation of Yelena Isinbayeva, a two-time reigning pole vault champion, and the comeback tale of Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, who withdrew from the 110-meter hurdles in Beijing due to back strain, are other athletes anticipated to shine in London.
Roger Federer of Switzerland is a 17-time grand slam champion, but the Olympic title has continuously eluded him.
Since the Sydney Games in 2000, the Swiss star has competed in the Summer Olympics but never reached the championship match. His best result was a semifinal berth in his maiden appearance.
Although the 30-year-old was once considered past his prime, the Swiss star debunked this by winning at Wimbledon last month and returning to the world No. 1 position.
The fact that the Olympic tennis matches will be held at Wimbledon is another source of inspiration to Federer, who has triumphed there seven times.
In addition, his rival Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal makes his Olympic dream closer to coming true.
On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova, who completed the career grand slam after winning the French Open in June, world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and American Serena Williams, a 14-time grand slam winner, are expected to vie for podium places
On the basketball court, since the NBA began sending its star players to the Summer Games in 1992, the U.S. squad has taken center stage at every Olympics on the back of its flamboyant performances and large margins of victory.
Although Mike Krzyzewski’s side has lost Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose to injuries, the 2012 team still features an All-Star lineup including LeBron James of the Miami Heat, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder.
Men’s basketball, especially matches in Group A including France, Argentina, Lithuania, Nigeria, Tunisia and the United States, which all have NBA talent on their rosters except Tunisia, belongs in the must-see category at the Olympics.
The London Games will be Michael Phelps’ swan song and the 14-time Olympic gold medalist is trying to wrap up his storied career in the pool.
The 27-year-old Baltimore native, who holds the record for winning the most gold medals in Olympic history, will compete in a total of seven events and should he also add three more medals in his final appearance, he would surpass Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for most medals, whether they be gold, silver or bronze, in Olympic history. Latynina won a record 18 medals, nine of them gold.
The fever spreads to the football pitch featuring Brazil’s Neymar, 20, who is often mentioned in the same breath as FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, and Britain’s Ryan Giggs, a Manchester United veteran.
And in graceful agility 19-year-old Russian rhythmic gymnast Yevgeniya Kanayeva, seen as the best-ever athlete in history, is a favorite in her competition.
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