By Nina Hammerling Smith
Snakkle.com
The whole world is watching. And although the 2012 Summer Games in London haven't been without their share of controversy, there have also been tremendous moments of sportsmanship, personal triumph and breathtaking performances. Take a look at some of Team U.S.A.’s shining stars before they were stars ...
2012 U.S. Olympians: Before They Were Stars Slideshow
2012 Olympians: Before They Were Stars
Who am I?
Candace Parker
Candace Parker comes from what can only be called a basketball family. She was the first female high school player to dunk the ball; she told USA Today that she wore Number 32 because "it's the number my father wore playing at the University of Iowa." Her big brother, Anthony Parker, played for several NBA teams. Her husband, Shelden Williams, plays for the New Jersey Nets. After the University of Tennessee, she was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft and now plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. This is Parker's second trip to the Games -- she was part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
2012 Olympians: Before They Were Stars
Who am I?
Gabby Douglas
What can you say about a 16-year-old with an irrepressible smile and two Olympic gold medals to her name -- including the coveted women's gymnastics all-around? When it's Virginia Beach native Gabby Douglas, you can say: Go, Flying Squirrel! After the first-place finish of the girls’ team, Douglas took personal gold by the slimmest of margins, with Russia's Viktoria Komova just three-tenths behind. Douglas celebrated with her coach, Liang Chow -- whose instruction to avoid looking at the scoreboard she didn't quite manage to follow, admitting that she peeked "after vault, and bars, and beam, and floor."
2012 Olympians: Before They Were Stars
Who am I?
Hope Solo
The U.S. women's soccer team goalie has never backed away from speaking her mind -- even when it means courting controversy. She recently told ESPN, "There’s a lot of sex going on" at the Olympic Village. Solo -- who plays for the Seattle Sounders Women and won a gold medal with the 2008 U.S. Olympic team -- is also known for her style sense. Last year, she and her "Dancing With The Stars" partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy made it all the way to the semifinals; let's hope that Hope and her team make it even farther in these Olympics.
2012 Olympians: Before They Were Stars
Who am I?
Kerri Walsh
Beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh and her partner Misty May-Treanor are two-time Olympic champions, having taken gold in the 2004 and 2008 Games. As a high schooler, Walsh played indoor volleyball but found her true calling when she took to the beach. Her husband, Casey Jennings, is also a pro beach volleyball player. Despite a painful-looking case of conjunctivitis, Walsh is taking care of business with May-Treanor and looking for gold medal number three.
2012 Olympians: Before They Were Stars
Who am I?
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant has always been a star; picked Most Likely to Succeed in high school, Bryant skipped college and went straight into the NBA, where he's played for the L.A. Lakers -- and won five NBA championships -- since 1996. A member of the 2008 gold medal-winning team, he's a bona fide international superstar. In fact, after an Olympic match against the Tunisian team, one of the opposing players presented him with his sneaker and a pen and asked for his autograph.
2012 Olympians: Before They Were Stars
Who are we?
McKayla Maroney And Kyla Ross
Sure, they're teammates -- and, sometimes, competitors. But in the case of two U.S. Olympic gymnasts, the connection goes far deeper (and a lot longer). McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross, her 15-year-old teammate, met as 6-year-olds in the same gymnastics club and have been BFFs ever since. As Maroney wrote on her Facebook page, "Once upon a time two little best friends from California were dreaming about the Olympics... They trained together, both make the Olympics... And the rest is history."
