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This article introduces a section on 100 Olympic athletes to watch at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, including basketball player LeBron James, swimmer Dara Torres, sprinter Asafa Powell, soccer player Heather O'Reilly, boxer Zou Shiming, martial artist Sara Khoshjamal, swimmer Stephanie Rice, gymnast Yang Wei, fencer Laura Flessei-Colovic, and swimmer Federica Pellegrini.

This article introduces a section on 100 Olympic athletes to watch at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, including basketball player LeBron James, swimmer Dara Torres, sprinter Asafa Powell, soccer player Heather O'Reilly, boxer Zou Shiming, martial artist Sara Khoshjamal, swimmer Stephanie Rice, gymnast Yang Wei, fencer Laura Flessei-Colovic, and swimmer Federica Pellegrini.

This article discusses how swimmer Dara Torres, who is 41-years-old, will be competing in her fifth Olympic Games in August 2008 in Beijing, China. Torres loves to compete and continues to break records in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle events. Many people have questioned her ability to maintain her athletic prowess and her shape, suggesting that she may be taking steroids or other drugs. However, Torres has submitted to regular drug testing by several agencies and is clean.

The article discusses U.S. National Basketball Association (NBA) player LeBron James and the 2008 Olympic Games. James predicts the U.S. will win the gold medal and return the title to the U.S., the country of the game's origin. Topics include an overview of the past Olympic basketball contests and a brief biography of James.

This article profiles Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and her preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Johnson writes poetry to cope with the anxiety and pressure of competition. During competition, Johnson portrays confidence. At the Olympics, she would like to show China that she appreciates the training she has received from her coach Liang Qiao, a former Chinese gymnastics champion, by performing well.

This article profiles Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay and his preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Gay has recorded the fastest sprint in human history and is the defending world champion in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints. However, he suffered a set-back when he injured his hamstring during the U.S. Olympic trials. Gay has recovered and will be ready to compete in Beijing.

This article profiles Olympic diver Guo Jingjing and her preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Jingjing entered the Atlanta, Georgia Olympic games at the age of 14 and won two gold medals. She has been competing and winning springboard diving events ever since. However, she has also been the subject of some controversy, making comments about other contenders and engaging in product endorsements.

This article profiles Olympic decathlon athlete Roman Sebrle and his preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Sebrle suffered a wound from a javelin puncture in 2007, but recovered and went on to win a gold medal at the world championship. He has also had the title of the Czech Republic's best athlete of the year for five years.

This article profiles Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix and her preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Because of the controversy surrounding the steroid use of Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones, the U.S. sprinters are being watched closely. Felix is participating in Project Believe which analyzes blood and urine samples more extensively than the World Anti-Doping Agency requires. Felix turned professional directly out of high school.

This article profiles Olympic basketball player Yao Ming and his preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Ming has been playing for the Houston, Texas Rockets basketball team and broke his left foot in February 2008. However, the pressure from China to play for them in the Olympics is immense, so Ming will play for China in the first game of the Olympics although some doctors are saying that his foot is not ready.

This article profiles Chinese Olympic hurdler Liu Xiang and his preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Xiang means "to soar" in Chinese, and Chinese citizens are rooting for him to soar at the 2008 Olympics as he did when he won a gold medal for sprinting at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Chinese officials are putting a tremendous amount of pressure on him to win gold.

This article profiles Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and his preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Since the time slots for the swimming events were switched from the evening to the morning, Phelps is dreading having to get up so early to compete. However, his body is in excellent condition and he recovers quickly from strenuous workouts, so he is a strong contender for gold medals.