JON SUPER—AP

Taylor Phinney, 18, Cycling

Phinney hopes to make the Olympics a true family affair: both of his parents have won Olympic medals for cycling. Phinney is a phenom: at 17, he won the national title in his first competitive race in track cycling. Phinney recently set a world record, beating the previous junior men's 3000-meter time by more than one second. Beyond Beijing, the Colorado native hopes to continue following in his parents footsteps by turning his attention from the track to the road, which he hopes will one day lead him to the Tour de France.

--By Alice Park