In Pictures: Weather extremes 2013
In Pictures: Derby Day devotees, Kenyan style
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/16
In Pictures: Dazzle like Beckham
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/15
In Pictures: Duchess Kate's royal baby bump
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/14
In Pictures: Keffiyeh is rebel chic
Ashton Eaton reacts after setting the world record in the decathlon during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., June 23. Born in 1988, Eaton is the youngest of Team USA's three decathletes. He is from Oregon, and is engaged to Oregon heptathlete and Canadian Olympic hopeful Brianne Theisen. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Thomas Boyd)
Alexandra "Aly" Raisman is from Needham, Mass. and is 18 years old. She began gymnastics as a toddler at Mommy & Me class. Raisman's favorite event is floor exercise, and she is also a volunteer for the Special Olympics. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
David Boudia was born in 1989 in Abilene, Texas and attended Purdue University. He has been diving since 2000, but also enjoys other competitive sports like football, basketball, and soccer. Boudia attended the Olympics in 2008, but did not medal. This summer in London, he will compete in both individual and synchronized competition. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Morgan Uceny is a mid-distance runner who lives in San Diego, Calif. She won the 1,500-meter race at the US Olympic trials. In high school Uceny played basketball and aspired to the WMBA. She also ran cross country and track. She attended Cornell University. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Tony Azevedo was born in 1981 in Rio de Janeiro, but grew up on Long Beach Calif. He is currently the US Water Polo team captain. His favorite pre-game meal is Pasta Pomodoro. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Gymnast Jordyn Wieber is currently the 2011 All-Around World Champion, the 2011 US Senior National Champion and the 2011 American Cup Champion. She is 16 years old. She began training at age 4, in DeWitt, Mich. Wieber attends DeWitt High School. Her favorite event is the balance beam and her favorite subject in school is math. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant is a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a five-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA finals MVP, a two-time NBA scoring champion, and a four-time NBA All-Star game MVP. Byrant has two daughters, Natalia Diamante and Gianna Maria. He is the son of Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant, former forward with Philadelphia 76ers. Sam Morris/Reuters
Though the US team failed to qualify for the London Olympics, synchronized swimmers Mariya Koroleva (l.) and Mary Killman qualified as a duo. The California residents were rivals until they were paired together in October 2011. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Holley Mangold was born in 1989 and lives in Columbus, Ohio. She grew up interested in sports and like her brother, New York Jets center Nick Mangold, she played high school football. But weightlifting was ultimately a better fit. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Modern pentathlon athlete Dennis Bowsher was born in 1983 in Dallas, Texas, and is a member of the United States Army World Class Athlete Program, a special military unit that supports soldiers participating on the Olympic Team. The pentathlon consists of pistol shooting, fencing, swimming, show jumping, and a cross-country run. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Diver Kristian Ipsen, who grew up in Clayton, Calif., recently completed his freshman year at Stanford University. Ipsen is headed to his first Olympic Games with his synchronized diving partner Troy Dumais. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Freestyle wrestler Jake Herbert was born in 1985 and attended Northwestern University where he was a two-time NCAA wrestling champion, and a four-time NCAA All American. He has spent the last several months training at the Ann Arbor, Mich. Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Freestyle wrestler Clarissa Chun was born in 1981 in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 2004 she became the first wrestler from Hawaii to qualify for the Olympics. She finished fifth overall in Beijing. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Tyler Clary has never competed at the Olympics, but he holds 10 medals in international competitions. At the US Olympic trials, Clary finished one second behind Michael Phelps in the 200-meter butterfly and one second behind Ryan Lochte in the 200-meter backstroke. Clary is from California and loves to surf. Mark J. Terrill/AP
At the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, Oz Sanchez won a gold medal and a bronze in handcycling. In 2001, Sanchez was in a motorcycle accident, but after being introduced to handcycling he quickly developed the urge to compete. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Born in 1988, Sarah Robles gave up a scholarship at Arizona State, where she was a discus thrower, to dedicate her time to weightlifting. She hopes to break the American women's super heavyweight weightlifting record in London. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Jesse Williams is the current World Champion high jumper. He has jumped 53 centimeters (more than 20 inches) above his height, which puts him among the top 20 jumpers of all time. He also competed at Beijing in 2008. Williams was born in 1983 in Modesto, Calif., and competed in track and field for University of Southern California. Steve Dipaola/Reuters
Fencer Alexander Massialas, son of three-time Olympian Greg Massialas, became the youngest athlete ever to win a men's foil Divsion I National Championship at age 16 in 2010. Massialas will attend the London Olympics as both the No. 1 ranked senior fencer and the No.1 ranked junior fencer in the US. He recently completed his senior year of high school. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Brittney Reese began long-jumping in 2003 as a junior in high school. She was disappointed with a fifth place finish at the Beijing Olympics, but in March at the 2012 World Indoor Championships Reese jumped 23 feet, 8 3/4 inches. It was a new world record, four inches better than Reese's idol, Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Born in 1987, Brittany Viola grew up in Orlando Fla., and attended University of Miami. In 2004 and 2008 she was an alternate for the US Olympic diving team, but at the 2012 Olympic trials in June she took first place, 60 points ahead of the second-place finisher. Viola's father, Frank Viola, was a pitcher for the New York Mets. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Jerome Singleton is known as the fastest amputee on the planet. At the 2008 Paralympic Games he won a silver medal in the 100-meter, and a gold in the 4 by 100-meter relay. Singleton played varsity football, ran track, and played junior varsity basketball in high school. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Heather O'Reilly is a midfielder, and will compete in the Olympics for the third time this summer. In 2004 and 2008 the US Women's Soccer Team won gold medals. O'Reilly was born in 1985, attended University of North Carolina, and currently lives in New York, N.Y. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
In 2008, Travis Stevens placed ninth at the Beijing Olympics, but since then he was won several medals in world judo competitions, including the silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Championships. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
25 year-old sprinter Lashawn Merritt won two gold medals in Beijing, one for the 400-meter, and one for the 4 by 400-meter relay. The 400-meter is Merritt's specialty. He was born in Portsmouth, Va. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Kari Miller won a silver medal in Beijing's Paralympics for sitting volleyball. She has been playing sitting volleyball since 2004 after she lost her legs when her vehicle was hit by a drunk driver. Miller was in the US Army and served stints in Bosnia and Korea. She also runs track. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Lebron James, the small forward for the Miami Heat, led his team to victory in the NBA Championships earlier this summer. James grew up in Akron, Ohio and played both basketball and football in high school. He has two children with his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson. He was a member of the 2008 gold medal-winning team in Beijing. David Cleveland/AP
Joshua Richmond is a Staff Sergeant in the US Army, and a member of the US Army Marksmanship Unit. He has been shooting his whole life, and also enjoys fishing, hunting, and horseback riding. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Jennifer Nichols began practicing archery as a child, when her father bought her and siblings equipment from Wal-Mart. She competed in the Olympics in 2004 and 2008, though she didn't medal. She trains with her younger sister, Amanda, who also has Olympic hopes. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Triathlete Hunter Kemper is a three-time Olympian. He competed in 2000, 2004, and 2008, though he has never medaled. He has won silver and gold medals in world championship races. Kemper was born in 1976 and grew up in Longwood, Fla. His favorite food is pizza. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
John Orozco specializes in the high bar and parallel bars. Born in 1992 in the Bronx, Orozco graduated high school in 2011 and delayed college to train for the Olympics. He also enjoys hip hop dancing, taking pictures, and listening to music Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Bantamweight boxer Joseph Diaz Jr. will compete in the 2012 Olympics. Diaz became the first American boxer to qualify for the London Games by becoming a quarter-finalist at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships, where he defeated the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and a former world championship bronze medalist. Diaz was born in 1992 and grew up in South El Monte, Calif. He fights southpaw. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Cyclist Sarah Hammer competed in the 2008 Beijing games where she finished fifth in the individual pursuit. She is a four-time champion in the individual pursuit at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Hammer was born in 1983 and grew up in California. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Jake Dalton, 20, is from Nevada. He began training in gymnastics in 1996, and competed for the University of Oklahoma, where he was a NCAA All-American. Dalton excels at the floor exercise and vault, but has also won all-around and team medals at world events. Jae C. Hong/AP
In 2008, beach volleyball teammates April Ross (l.) and Jen Kessy were the No. 3 team for the US. This summer they will compete in London. Ross was originally a member of the US indoor volleyball national team in 2003, before deciding to give beach volleyball a try. She teamed up with Kessy in 2007. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Diana Lopez comes from a family of Taekwondo champions. Her three older brothers have achieved great success in the sport, taking home medals at the World Championships and the Olympics. In 2008, Lopez and her two youngest brothers, coached by their oldest brother, became the first trio of American siblings since 1904 to make an Olympic team, and the first ever to all medal. She took the bronze. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Tony Gunawan has competed in the Olympics in badminton three times. In 2000, he and his partner won the gold medal in men's doubles for Indonesia. Gunawan became a US citizen in 2011, and will represent the US in London this summer. Gunawan lives in Orange, Calif. with his wife and two sons. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross already has two Olympic gold medals under her belt, one from 2004 and one from 2008, both in the 4 by 400-meter relay. She also won the bronze medal for the 400-meter in Beijing. Richard-Ross was born in Jamaica, but came to the US when she was 12. She became a citizen in 2002. She began running track in high school in Florida. She now lives in Austin Texas. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Merrill Moses was the goalkeeper for the men's water polo team that took home silver at the Beijing Olympics. He also enjoys scuba diving and cooking. Moses was born in 1977 and grew up in California. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Sprinter Allyson Felix is a two-time Olympian. In 2008 she won a gold medal in the 4 by 400-meter relay and a silver medal in 200-meter race. She also won silver for the 200-meter in 2004. Felix grew up in Los Angeles, and was born in 1985. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Greco-Roman-style wrestler Justin "Harry" Lester has been a competitive wrestler since age eight. He is currently ranked No. 1 by Team USA in the 66kg/145 lb. weight class. Lester is a senior education/science major at Northern Michigan University. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Alysia Montaño was born in 1986, and raised in Southern California. Her event is the 800-meter; she has been a middle-distance runner since high school. She was unable to attend the 2008 Olympics because of a broken foot. Montaño is known for wearing a flower in her hair while she runs. Steve Dipaola/Reuters
Angelo Taylor is from Georgia, and attended Georgia Tech. The London Games will be his fourth Olympics. Taylor is a three-time gold medal winner. He won gold in 2000 in Sydney, as well as 2008 in Beijing, for the 400-meter hurdles. He also won gold in Beijing for the 4 by 400-meter relay. Eric Gay/AP
Jillian Camarena-Williams is a shot-putter from California. She is currently the world champion in indoor competition, and also competed in the 2008 Beijing Games. Camarena-Williams attended Stanford, where she also threw discus. She and her husband, Dustin Williams a physiotherapist on Team USA's medical staff, sometimes have shot put competitions between themselves. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Trampoline gymnast Logan Dooley was born in 1987 in Lake Forest, Calif., Dooley loved flipping and jumping from an early age, experimenting on a backyard trampoline until his parents got him a coach. This summer he was selected as an alternate for the Olympic Team. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Dawn Harper specializes in the 100-meter hurdles. She won the gold medal at Beijing in 2008 in the event, and trains with legendary coach Bob Kersee. Harper, 28, lives in Los Angeles and attended UCLA. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Galen Rupp was born in Portland Ore., and in high school was a soccer player before he began training as a marathon runner. He competed in the 2008 Beijing Oympics, and placed thirteenth in the 10,000-meter (6.2 mile) race. Rupp holds the American record for the 10,000-meter, and also qualified for the London Games in the 5,000-meter. Eric Gay/AP
This summer, flyweight boxer Rau'shee Warren will become the first US boxer to compete in three Olympic Games. He is a four-time US National Champion, and in 2007 he was the World Champion. Warren was born in 1987 and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He began boxing at age 8. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Jennifer Simpson will run the 1,500-meter in London. She is currently the world champion in the 1,500-meter, but many in the US also know her as the "Steeplechase Queen." She holds the American record in the running, hurdling, obstacle event. Simpson, 25, lives in Colorado. She also competed at the Beijing Games, but did not medal. Brian Davies/AP
Lauren Crandall, a midfielder, was born in 1985 and grew up near Pittsburgh, Penn. She attended Wake Forest University. In 2008 Crandall was a member of the US women's field hockey team that finished seventh in Beijing. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Danell Leyva was born in 1991, and lives in Miami. His parents, both gymnasts for Cuba's national gymnastics team, defected to the United States when Leyva was a year old, and later became coaches. Leyva excels at the parallel bars and horizontal bar, and has won multiple gold medals at national and world championships. Mike Blake/Reuters
Growing up in Houston, Texas, Johnathan Horton was a "wild child," climbing, jumping, and backflipping around the house. He enjoys the adrenaline rush of gymnastics. In 2008 at the Beijing Games, Horton won the silver medal in the horizontal bar, and helped the US men take home the bronze team medal. Horton's favorite event is the high bar. Gregory Bull/AP
Kayla Harrison grew up in Middletown Ohio. In 2010 she became the first US woman to win the Judo World Championship in 26 years, with five undefeated matches. She is currently ranked number one in the US and number four in the world.
Kevin Durant currently plays small forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant has been playing basketball his whole life, beginning with youth leagues and his high school team in Maryland. In 2007 Durant left the University of Texas and joined the NBA. He was awarded the Rookie of Year Award for that season. Jessica Ebelhar/AP
Jessica Long competed in both the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics, racking up a total of seven gold medals in swimming. Long was born in Siberia and was adopted from a Russian orphanage at the age of 13 months. Her legs were amputated when she was 18 months old and she learned to walk with prostheses. Besides swimming, Long has been involved in many sports including gymnastics, cheerleading, ice skating, biking, trampoline, and rock climbing. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Kyla Ross is 15 years old, and lives in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Ross began training in gymnastics when she was 3. She recently finished her freshman year at Aliso Niguel High School, where her favorite subject is math. At the US Olympic trials in July Ross placed fifth all around, first on the uneven bars, and third on the balance beam. Brian Snyder/Reuters
The 2012 US Women's Gymnastic Team is expected to built around Gabby Douglas and her rival Jordyn Wieber. Both are 16 years old, and stellar all-around gymnasts. Douglas especially excels on the uneven bars, but her favorite events are the balance beam, and the floor exercise. She has been training since she was 6 years old. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
McKayla Maroney, 16, is from Laguna Niguel, Calif. Maroney placed seventh overall at the US Olympic gymnastics trials, first in vault, and fifth in floor exercise. Floor exercise is her favorite event. She is home-schooled, and in her spare time enjoys going to the movies and the beach.
Missy Franklin, 17, specializes in freestyle, backstroke, and individual medley. Along with her teammates, she holds the world record in the 4 by 100-meter medley relay. Individually, she holds the world record in the 200-meter backstroke. Franklin lives in Aurora, Colo. and attends Regis Jesuit High School. She has size 13 feet, which her dad calls, "built-in flippers."
Michael Phelps goes to the London Games with two Olympic games, 14 gold medals, and 2 bronze under his belt. The eight gold medals he won at the 2008 Bejing Games made him the record holder for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
This summer Natalie Coughlin will become a three-time Olympian. In 2008 in Beijing, she became the first American female swimmer to win six medals in one Olympics, the first woman to ever win a 100-meter backstroke gold in two consecutive Olympics, and the first woman to ever swim the 100-meter backstroke in under one minute. Coughlin has won a total of 11 Olympic medals, three of them gold. She was born in 1982, in Vallejo, Calif. Jeff Haynes/Reuters
Ryan Lochte grew up in Daytona Beach, Fla., and attended the University of Florida. Between Athens and Beijing, he has won six Olympic medals, three of them gold. He holds two world records, in the 200 and 400-meter individual medleys. The Olympic trials provided a preview of what is sure to be an entertaining rivalry with Michael Phelps. Michael Patrick/AP
Sam Mikulak is from California. He recently completed his sophomore year at the University of Michigan, where he has had a successful NCAA career. He began training in gymnastics at age 2, both his parents were gymnasts. His favorite event is the pommel horse. Brian Snyder/Reuters
Stephanie Brown Trafton, who is 32, won the gold medal for discus at the Beijing Olympics, a radical improvement over her performance in Athens, when she came in twenty-second. He gold in Beijing was the first American gold medal in the event in 76 years. Trafton is married, and lives in Arroyo, Calif. She enjoys recreational hunting. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Greta Neimanas made her Paralympic Games debut in Beijing in 2008. Born without a left arm below the elbow, Neimanas grew up participating in Paralympic sports programs, and began cycling in 2005. Lucas Jackson/Reuters
In Pictures: Weather extremes 2013
In Pictures: Derby Day devotees, Kenyan style
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/16
In Pictures: Dazzle like Beckham
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/15
In Pictures: Duchess Kate's royal baby bump
Photos of the Day: Photos of the day 05/14
In Pictures: Keffiyeh is rebel chic
The International Olympic Committee executive board recommended dropping wrestling from the Summer Olympics, beginning in 2020. The decision does not cast the IOC in a good light.
The International Olympic Committee's executive board on Tuesday showed the world that the organization is still struggling to outgrow its reputation as a cabal of out-of-touch elitists.
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