10 Olympians to watch in Rio

OMAHA, NE - JULY 02: Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the final heat for the Men's 100 Meter Butterfly during Day Seven of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at CenturyLink Center on July 2, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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Soccer: Women /

8. Women’s Soccer

For the sixth time, women’s soccer will be included in the Olympics. Can the United States women’s team become the first female soccer team to win both the Wolrd Cup and a gold medal?

This year’s 14-woman roster is comprised of Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath, Hope Solo, Becky Sauerbrunn, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Alyssa Naeher, Whitney Engen, Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Ali Krieger, Morgan Brian, Lindsey Horan, Allie Long, Crystan Dunn, Christen Press, and Mallory Pugh, who is the second youngest woman to make a U.S. Olympic soccer team.

Most of the squad comes from the intercollegiate ranks, with Horan turning down a UNC scholarship to play professional soccer for Paris Saint-Germain and then the Portland Thorns.

Of the roster, coach Jill Ellis said in a Washington Post article, “We’ve got a great blend of players with experience at the Olympic games and in major events along with the youthful energy of some players who did not play in the Women’s World Cup last summer.”

The U.S. team is coming off of an impressive victory in the 2015 World Cup, and has an equally impressive track record at the Olympic games. They have made the gold medal round every year since 1996, the first time the sport was included in the Olympics. If they win in August, the gold medal will be the fourth consecutive for a U.S. women’s soccer team.

Next: 7. Simone Biles, Gymnastics