From the 5 Rings, 25 Athletes to Watch

LONDON — It has been 100 years since Baron Pierre de Coubertin designed the interlocking Olympic rings. Coubertin, the driving force behind the modern Games, chose five rings to represent the five areas of the world that were behind his strengthening movement.

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Sally Pearson of Australia was silver medalist in the 100-meter hurdles in Beijing and won the world title last year.
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Ashton Eaton of the United States set the world decathlon record, with 9,039 points, at the U.S. trials in Eugene, Oregon in June.
A century later, Coubertin’s handiwork is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world, and those five continental zones remain a handy way to divide up the talent that will be competing in 26 sports at the London Olympics.

And so, in keeping with Coubertin’s theme, herewith five from each ring, some world famous, some not quite yet, but all worth following over the next 17 days and nights.



Europe

CHRIS HOY (Britain) track cycling; age: 36

Claims to fame: In Beijing, the Real McHoy (that’s his nickname) became the first British athlete to win three gold medals in the same Olympics since 1908, when the swimmer Henry Taylor had his way with the distance freestyle events. Hoy, a Scot, was knighted for his efforts and will carry the flag for the British team in the Opening Ceremony.

Talking points: Hoy’s interest in cycling started at age 6 when he watched Steven Spielberg’s film “E.T.,” in which a bicycle takes flight with some extraterrestrial help. Hoy has yet to duplicate that trick, but, with five Olympic medals, he is the most successful Scottish Olympian of all time.

Best guess for London: Gold in keirin; silver in the team sprint after being bumped from the individual sprint.

KATIE TAYLOR (Ireland) boxing; 26

Claims to fame: Taylor has won four consecutive world titles as a lightweight

Talking points: In a different era, Taylor might not have been a boxer, but she would surely have been a great athlete. She has played on Ireland’s national women’s soccer team and has also played Gaelic football at the club level. But with women’s boxing making its Olympic debut in London, she is well placed to become Ireland’s first Olympic gold medalist in any sport since 1996.

Best guess for London: Gold, and a record crowd at the Dublin airport when she returns home.

YELENA ISINBAYEVA (Russia) pole vault; 30

Claims to fame: Isinbayeva has set 28 world records indoors and outdoors, and set world records when she won the Olympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008.

Talking points: A former gymnast, Isinbayeva transformed herself into one of the world’s biggest female sports stars by taking the women’s pole vault to a new technical (and vertical) level. She spends plenty of her competitions wrapped in towels, blocking out distractions as others attempt heights that are usually beneath her. But since Beijing, when the towels have come off, she has usually faltered, unable to clear a height at the 2009 world championships and, after a sabbatical, finishing sixth at the 2011 world championships.

Best guess for London: Silver, nerves getting to her.

ROGER FEDERER (Switzerland) tennis; 30

Claims to fame: Graceful men’s singles player who is widely considered the greatest of the Open era, which began in 1968. Just won his 17th Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon.

Talking points: Despite his record-breaking career, Federer surprisingly still lacks two of tennis’s major prizes: the Davis Cup, which is the game’s premier team event, and the Olympic singles title. Federer does, however, have an Olympic gold medal, which he won in doubles in 2008 with Stanislas Wawrinka.

Best guess for London: Gold in singles, no medal in doubles.

TEDDY RINER (France) judo; 23

Claims to fame: Riner, a force of nature, started early for a judoka. He won his first world title at 19 and has now won five in the open-weight or heavyweight divisions.

Talking points: Born on the French island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, Riner is nicknamed Teddy Bear, which proves that the judo community has a sense of humor. He is more than 2 meters, or 6 feet, 7 inches, tall and weighs 135 kilograms, or 300 pounds, and possesses the agility of a smaller man. But Teddy Bear does not yet possess an Olympic gold medal.

Best guess for London: De l’or (gold).



The Americas

USAIN BOLT (Jamaica) track; 25

Claims to fame: Larger and faster than life, Bolt was true to his name at the 2008 Olympics. He smashed world records in the 100 and 200 meters and became a global brand with three gold medals and more runway poses than a catwalk model.