In less than two weeks, the Paris Olympics will begin. Thousands of athletes around the world will descend on the city, some looking to make their name, others just happy to be there.
There are probably hundreds of U.S. athletes who, with big performances, can either start on their 15 minutes of fame or use up a few more minutes until they reach their limit. Or, to put it another way, you’re going to have a few Rulon Gardners and a few Michael Phelps.
Gardner was the Greco-Roman wrestler who forced his way into national consciousness with a stunning upset in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, beating Aleksandr Karelin to earn the gold medal. On the other hand, Phelps was expected to deliver the goods every time he stripped down to his Speedos and usually did.
So, who might be this year’s Gardners and Phelps? Let’s take a look at five athletes who seem to fit each category.
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The unheralded stars of Team USA
–Victor Montalvo, breaking: A first-time sport is a perfect forum for someone no one outside of his family or town knows. The 30-year-old Montalvo believes this is his only shot in what he says is a young man’s game. If he can pull off his Supa Montalvo – a move where he drops to a crouch and pulls off 360-degree spins – he might get his 15 minutes.
–Trinity Rodman, women’s soccer: The daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman already has seven goals in 38 national team appearances. But if the USA bounces back from some recent down performances in major championships and Rodman has an important role, get ready to see a lot of her on a TV near you.
–Maggie Steffens, women’s water polo: The team’s captain has scored 56 goals during three straight gold medal runs, an all-time Olympic individual record. Make it four in a row and Steffens, with help from a sponsorship from Flavor Flav, might finally earn the national recognition her feats deserve.
–Chase Budinger, men’s beach volleyball: You might remember that he played seven NBA seasons after a good college career at Arizona. He switched full-time to volleyball in 2018. The 36-year-old Budinger and partner Miles Evans, ranked 13th in the world, could author the kind of underdog run that gets you on Jimmy Kimmel.
–Kelsey Plum, women’s basketball: You might think this is a reach, but consider that Plum is one of the best players in the WNBA, yet is overshadowed by teammate A’ja Wilson, not to mention Caitlin Clark. But a good Olympics and a gold medal might earn Plum the credit she’s merited for a while.
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The already heralded Olympic stars
–Simone Biles, women’s gymnastics: Some “experts” on the sport proclaimed she wasn’t a team player when she bowed out of four of her five scheduled finals in Tokyo because she had the “twistics,” a condition that can lead to serious problems. A healthy Biles arrives in Paris ready to win the medals she likely would have grabbed three years ago.
–Katie Ledecky, swimming: One of the most decorated athletes on this year’s team, Ledecky has won seven golds and 10 total medals as an Olympian. She should add to her medal collection this summer with chances to win in the 400, 800, and 1,500 freestyle, as well as the 4×200 relay.
–Sha’Carri Richardson, track and field: This could be the redemption story of the Games. Richardson was bounced from the Tokyo Olympics after failing a drug test but has the fastest time of any woman this year in the 100 at 10.71 seconds.
–Kevin Durant, men’s basketball: After a disappointing regular season with the Phoenix Suns, Durant can become the first U.S. man to earn four gold medals in Paris. He also needs only 54 points to pass Lisa Leslie as the all-time leading scorer in U.S. Olympic history.
–Coco Gauff, women’s tennis: Her Olympic debut is three years in the making; she had to pull out in Tokyo after testing positive for COVID-19. But the 20-year-old Gauff is ranked second in the world and has a real shot to add Olympic gold to last year’s U.S. Open title.
By Bucky Dent, Field Level Media
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