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U.S. women looking golden heading into Rio Olympics

 
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2012, file photo, Venus Williams, left, and Serena Williams of the United States show their gold medals in women's doubles at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London at the 2012 Summer Olympics.  If 34-year-old Serena Williams or 36-year-old Venus Williams wins a gold medal, either would be the third-oldest woman to collect an Olympic title in tennis. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File) NY156
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2012, file photo, Venus Williams, left, and Serena Williams of the United States show their gold medals in women's doubles at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London at the 2012 Summer Olympics. If 34-year-old Serena Williams or 36-year-old Venus Williams wins a gold medal, either would be the third-oldest woman to collect an Olympic title in tennis. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File) NY156
Published July 31, 2016

The 2012 Olympics, which came on the 40th anniversary of Title IX, was a watershed moment for female athletes, particularly in the United States. The U.S. women accounted for 29 gold medals, more than double the men's total. This year, expect more of the same.

A long list of U.S. women are favorites in next month's Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

• Serena Williams, fresh off her seventh singles title and sixth doubles championship at Wimbledon, returns as the defending Olympic champion in singles. She will team with sister Venus to go for their fourth straight doubles title.

• The U.S. women's basketball team is a virtual lock for its eighth gold medal and sixth in a row. It has won 41 straight games in Olympic competition, the last loss coming in the 1992 Games.

• Katie Ledecky is the world's premier freestyle swimmer. At the 2012 Games she won the 800 meters and will likely be the most decorated swimmer for the U.S. team. She is the only swimmer to sweep the 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 free in international competition.

• The women's soccer team has won four of the past five gold medals and is the World Cup champion. No country has ever won at the Olympics after capturing a World Cup title.

• At the 2012 Games, Claressa Shields became the first U.S. women's boxer to win a gold medal, in the middleweight class. She can make history again this year by becoming the first U.S. boxer, male or female, to win consecutive golds.

• The women's rowing team won its 10th straight world championship in September and is an overwhelming favorite for its third straight gold.

• Simone Biles, a three-time world all-around champion, is the most decorated American female gymnast in world competition with 14 medals, 10 gold. She can win her first gold at the Olympics this year.

Here are other story lines to follow during the Games in Rio, which officially start Friday.

Local flavor

There are plenty of bay area athletes to follow in Rio.

Trayvon Bromell (Gibbs High/Baylor) is a sprinting sensation in track who is among the favorites to medal in the 100 meters. He tied for third at the world championships last year behind two-time defending Olympic champion Usain Bolt and 2004 champion Justin Gatlin. At the U.S. Olympic trials, Bromell, recovering from a sprained Achilles, took second in the 100 behind Gatlin.

In swimming, two locals are competing for different countries.

Melanie Margalis (Countryside/Georgia) made her first Olympic team after finishing second in the 400-meter individual medley at the U.S. trials. She also will swim a leg for the 800 freestyle team.

Sydney Pickrem (East Lake/Texas A&M) is in the Olympics for Canada. Pickrem, who has dual citizenship, qualified after winning the 200 and 400 IM during Canada's Olympic trials in April.

Paige Railey (Clearwater/USF) makes her second Olympic sailing appearance in laser radial. She was eighth at the 2012 Games.

Bulgaria-born Emil Milev, who lives in Tampa, has had remarkable career as a rapid fire pistol shooter. He is making his sixth Olympic appearance, his second representing the United States.

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Swan song for legends Phelps and Bolt

Olympic icons Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt say this is their final Olympics.

Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time with 22 medals (18 gold), came out of retirement after saying the 2012 Games would be his last, and is the first U.S. male swimmer to compete in five Olympics. He qualified in three individual events (100 free, 200 butterfly and 200 IM) and will likely swim in three relays (4x100 medley, 4x100 free and 4x200 free).

Bolt, the only sprinter in track to win the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay in consecutive Olympics, is back, though a hamstring injury forced him to withdraw from the Jamaican Olympic trials. He rebounded well, winning the 200 in 19.89 seconds July 22 at the Muller Anniversary Games in London.

Finding refuge

The International Olympic Committee put together a team of 10 refugee athletes who will compete as part of the Refugee Olympic Team, the first of its kind. Seven of the athletes are from Syria or South Sudan.

"This will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis," IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.

From one form of oval ball to another

Nate Ebner could not miss on a chance to medal for the U.S. team in rugby, especially as the sport was returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1924.

There was just one problem.

Ebner is a running back for the New England Patriots, who started training camp last week. The dilemma was solved when Ebner asked — and was granted — permission to skip part of training camp to compete in the Olympics.

Contact Bob Putnam at bputnam@tampabay.com. Follow @BobbyHomeTeam.