Get ready for London: Athletes to watch

Whatever geopolitical or other storylines may surround an Olympics prior to the Opening Ceremony, once the Games commence, the world's athletes usually dominate the headlines for 17 days.

The 2012 Olympics in London should feature many of Beijing's stars looking to write new histories and a cadre of promising athletes from the host nation vying to become the "face of the Games." Here are some athlete stories to watch in the lead-up to the Games of the 30th Olympiad.

The Fastest in Water and on Land
Michael Phelps, whose eight golds in eight events in 2008 may never be matched, will be 27 in London, and though he will swim a slightly reduced program, he should still be an impact swimmer in the races he enters. Already the winner of the most golds in a single Games (eight) and in an Olympic career (14; five more than any other athlete), Phelps enters London in need of three medals to own more medals than any other Olympic athlete, ever (Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won 18 medals), a feat that he should accomplish, cementing his place as the greatest Olympian ever.  

Phelps' top competition for the title of world's best all-around swimmer comes from within the United States, as Ryan Lochte, a 3-time Olympic gold medalist, has really stepped up during the last two summers. He has surged recently in the freestyle to compliment his backstroke and IM success and, with Phelps, provides the United States a strong 1-2 punch in the pool.

On the track, Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who won both the 100m and 200m with a dramatic flair befitting his record-shattering speed in Beijing, will look to become the first man to twice sweep the Olympic sprints in London, when he'll be 25 years old. Bolt added gold in the 4x100 relay to leave Beijing with three victories, a feat he matched at the 2009 Worlds in Berlin while lowering his own world records in both the 100m and 200m.

Who will be the "face of the Games" for the host nation?
Great Britain finished fourth in both gold (19) and total (47) medals in Beijing, and should have considerable successes at home in 2012. Here are five athletes with a good chance to become Olympic icons on their native soil.

Paula Radcliffe
Radcliffe, the marathon world record holder, will be 38 in Beijing and has one large void left on her resume - an Olympic medal. An injury forced her to the curb in Athens and another injury hampered her training leading up to Beijing, where she struggled to a 23rd place finish. Radcliffe gave birth to her second child, son Raphael, in September 2010 (her daughter, Isla, was born in January 2007). She has struggled with back issues this year, but has targeted the Berlin Marathon in September to attempt to qualify for the London Games. Assuming she is able to qualify, she will be in unfamilar territory as a favorite only of the sentimental variety.

Tom Daley
One of the stated objectives of the London 2012 Olympic bid was to increase youth participation in sport. Daley, the 2009 world champion 10m platform diver who will be 18 in London, could just be young man to do that. Despite his youth, he already has Olympic experience - he competed in Beijing as a 14 year-old, finishing 7th in the 10m platform and 8th in the synchronized 10m platform. Daley has had a rough 2011. His father, Rob, succumbed to a long battle with brain cancer in May. Just two months later, Daley finished fifth in the 10m platform at the 2011 Worlds in Shanghai.

Jessica Ennis
Ennis, who will be 26 in London, is the reigning world champion in the heptathlon. An injury forced her out of the Beijing Games, so she will be seeking an Olympic redemption of her own in 2012.

Chris Hoy
At the Beijing Games, track cyclist Hoy became the first athlete from Great Britain to win three gold medals at a single Games in 100 years. Hoy, a Scot who will be 36 in London, also won a gold in Athens and a silver in Sydney. Nicknamed "The Real McHoy", he was named BBC's Sport Personality of the Year in 2008.

Rebecca Adlington
Adlington was a double gold medalist in Beijing (400 free, 800 free), becoming the first British swimmer to win two golds at the same Games since 1908. She will be 23 in London and is a big star in the host country. Her 800m Beijing swim toppled the longest-standing record in swimming, the one that had stood since the year Adlington was born. Italy's Federica Pellegrini has emerged as a dominant figure in these events, with Adlington pacing second, but with the Olympics at home, the Adlington-Pellegrini showdowns could be some of the top races in the water.