\”Time\” magazine has just released their picks for the top 100 athletes to watch at the Beijing Games. Leading the list is my hometown hero, LeBron James. (sometimes the world is a very small place.) The other top 20 on the list are below. Visit the \”Time\” Web site for the complete, interactive list.

1. LeBron James – US – Basketball\r\n2. Dara Torres – US – swimming – the 41 year old mother is planning to show the world age is no barrier.\r\n3. Michael Phelps – attempting to break Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at a single Olympic Games.\r\n4. Liu Xiang – China’s biggest medal hope on the track, in the 110 meter hurdles\r\n5. Yao Ming – China’s favorite basketball giant.\r\n6. Allyson Felix - Won a silver in Athens in the 200 meters\r\n7. Shawn Johnson - At just 16 years old, she is regarded as the best gymnast in the world\r\n8. Roman Sebrle (pictured above) – Czech decathlete\r\n9. Guo Jingjing – China’s medal hope\r\n10. Tyson Gay - United States medal hope in the 100 meters\r\n11. Asaga Powell – Former Jamaican world recorder holder in the 100 meters\r\n12. Usain Bolt – Current world record holder in the 100 meters from Jamaica\r\n13. Yang Wei – China’s gymnastics medal favorite\r\n14. Stephanie Rice – Katie Hoff’s rival in the 200 and 400 meter medley’s.\r\n18. Chris Paul – point guard in the U.S. basketball team\r\n19. Paul Hamm – U.S. gymnast medal favorite, recovering from a wrist break\r\n20. Zou Shiming – Chinese boxer who won a bronze medal at the Athens games\r\n\r\n

Post from: EveryJoe

Time Magazine’s 100 Olympic Athletes to Watch