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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Mar 8, 2014; Sopot, Poland; Ashton Eaton (USA) poses with a United States flag after winning the heptathlon in the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics at Ergo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Ashton Eaton, Decathlon

For the decathlon, athletes compete in 10 events: pole vault, high jump, long jump, javelin, shot put, discus, 110-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash, 400-meter run, and a 1,500-meter run. Because of the number and variety of events, the world’s best decathlete is often called the world’s best athlete. Eaton won gold in 2012, and hopes to add a second gold medal to his collection. The current world record holder, Eaton could end up improving upon the mark he set in 2015.

There is no shortage of Eaton-related press. Recently he was featured on the cover of Vogue along with model Gigi Hadid (who is also the girlfriend of former One Direction member Zayn Malik). He also happens to be married to Brianne Theisen-Eaton, a Canadian heptathlete he met at the University of Oregon. The clear favorite in the event, Eaton has received a lot of hype going into August’s Rio games.

Americans have won more gold medals in the decathlon than any other country. Tune in to see if Eaton will continue his country’s tradition of excellence. Though Eaton has suffered from a few nagging injuries, he hasn’t lost a decathlon competition since 2011. Eaton explained via USA Today, “There’s two things you have to worry about (while training), your physical and mental health. Sometimes it’s hard to get both at 100%.” Chances are, even if he isn’t quite at 100%, Eaton will win again in Rio.

Next: 4. Helen Maroulis, Wrestling