Shuang Guo

After a disappointing and controversial effort at the Beijing Games, Shuang is primed to bring home China’s first Olympic gold medal in cycling this summer from London. She won bronze in the sprint event in 2008, but only after she was relegated in the semifinal race for unintentionally bumping Australia’s Anna Meares off the track. Meares was credited with the victory and a spot in the gold-medal race, while Shuang had to settle for a shot at third place. Despite the disappointment, she went on to beat Willy Kanis of the Netherlands to capture her first Olympic medal. Four years later, Shuang again appears to be a serious contender for gold in the sprint. She beat Meares in two consecutive sprint races - the second in 11.59 seconds - to win gold at London’s Olympic velodrome in February. Shuang has continued to race at an elite level after suffering a broken collarbone during a crash in December 2010. In addition to her success in the sprint events, she is a past World Cup and overall world champion in the keirin. She is also a member of China’s medal-contending team sprint squad, which finished third at the London velodrome earlier this year.