Here Are U.S. Olympians to Watch

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In less than one month, the 2008 Summer Olympics will officially get under way in Beijing, China. As is the case every four years, nations from every corner of the globe will send their top athletes in a quest for the gold.

The U.S. has long been a dominant force at the Summer Games, and this 29th installment looks to be no different. Here are a few notable names to keep an eye on who could be bringing home gold for America.

Michael Phelps
Phelps is one of the rare athletes that come along once in a blue moon, and as long as he is healthy enough to swim, he will dominate the men's swimming competition. In the 2004 Olympics in Athens, he won six gold medals, one shy of the record held by Mark Spitz.

This year, Phelps is an early favorite to once again win gold -- he's the world record-holder in several of his events.

All eyes in the swimming world will be on him anytime he enters the pool, and by participating in eight different events, he once again has a chance to break that record of Spitz's.

Kathryn Hoff
In Athens, then-15-year-old swimmer Hoff crumbled under the pressure of the world's watch and didn't even make it out of the preliminary round.

What a difference four years makes.

In the past few weeks, Hoff tore through the trials in Omaha, even taking the spotlight from Phelps for a bit. She won Olympic spots for eight events, setting a new American record in the 200 meter individual medley by narrowly beating the previous record-holder, fellow competitor and Olympian Natalie Coughlin.

Natalie Coughlin
Speaking of Coughlin, she joins Hoff as one of the premier American swimmers heading to Beijing. In the recent trials, she went head-to-head with Hoff -- and their performances helped create instant buzz around the female swimmers.