Venus Williams

A three-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Williams will make her fourth straight Olympic appearance. She won two golds in the 2000 Sydney Games, defeating Elena Dementieva in the singles final and partnering with sister Serena to capture the doubles event. The 2004 Athens Games did not go as well, as she lost in the third round in singles and fell in doubles in the first round with new partner Chanda Rubin, as Serena was out with a knee injury. At the 2008 Beijing Games, Williams lost in the quarterfinals to China’s Li Na and won gold in doubles yet again with Serena. The sisters have captured 12 Grand Slam doubles titles. Williams has won Wimbledon five times in singles, four times in doubles and also owns two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Her 2012 season has been curtailed by the autoimmune disease Sjogren's syndrome, as her ranking fell to No. 134 in March - well below the cut-off line for Olympic qualification. Williams, however, has gained some valuable points in recent events in her motivation to become a four-time Olympian. Said Williams: "My goal is to peak for the Olympics. When I don't want to get up or, you know, I want to do something different, then I think about the Olympics and how if I don't do the right thing I might not be there. That keeps me on the straight and narrow."