London 2012: Breaking Down Germany's Top 10 Athletes to Watch in the Olympics

Germany is on the verge of a disappointing Summer Olympics at the London games in 2012. It will be difficult to replicate the performances that yielded the fifth-highest medal count among countries in Beijing in 2008, especially with Germany qualifying for just one team sport. 

The lone team sport that Germany qualified for is field hockey, but both the men's and women's volleyball qualifying tournaments take place during the beginning of June and the end of May, respectively.

Still, Germany has plenty of individual athletes who could make some noise in their respective events at the London games.

Here are the top 10 German athletes to watch in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

10. Bert Grabsch, Cycling

Grabsch struggled at the Beijing games in 2008 in the individual road race and in the individual time trial, where he did not finish and placed 13th, respectively. 

But Grabsch is still Germany's best time trial cyclist, winning four of the last five national titles. Even after the 2008 Olympics, he rebounded in September of that year to capture his first world championship in the time trial event at the UCI Road World Championships.

Grabsch is 37, and many of the world's best cyclists will be focusing on the Tour de France, which ends just before the London games. If Grabsch can recapture his world title pace from September 2008, he has an excellent shot at earning a medal in London.

9. Malte Mohr, Track and Field

Event: Pole vault

Mohr is a relatively unknown pole vaulter in the world of track and field, with just a silver medal at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

But the young pole vaulter could just be peaking into top form before the London games. He is currently ranked as the third-best pole vaulter in the world, according to the All-Athletics.com World Rankings.

At the 2012 IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Istanbul, Turkey this past March, Mohr finished in fourth place in the pole vault, falling .05 meters American Brad Walker for the bronze. Mohr cleared a vault of 5.75 meters, while winner Renaud Lavillenie of France cleared 5.95 meters for the victory.

8. Peter Joppich, Fencing

Joppich is a fencing veteran, but he is still looking to capture that elusive Olympic medal. His best shot may be at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Joppich is a four-time world champion, with his latest title coming in 2010. He competed at the previous two Summer Olympics in Athens and in Beijing, but he finished sixth and fifth, respectively. According to BBC.com's Olympic preview, Joppich is favored to win the gold in London.

London may be Joppich's last chance to achieve Olympic glory. In the fencing world, he is regarded as one of the best in the sport, but he has yet to prove this fact on the Olympic stage. His success may be the most intriguing storyline for the fencing competition heading into London.

7. David Storl, Track and Field

Event: Shot put

The young thrower will turn 22 in July, and he dominated the junior track and field circuit. Now, Storl is considered one of the best shot putters in the world, earning the gold at the 2011 World Championships and the silver at the 2012 World Championships.

Currently, Storl is ranked as the fifth-best shot putter on All-Athletics.com's World Rankings. The 6'6", 245-pound German may not have the experience that most of his competition possesses, but Storl has the physical gifts to earn a medal in London.

6. Julius Brink, Beach Volleyball

Brink is looking to erase the memory of a disappointing performance at the 2008 Beijing games. He and his partner, Christoph Dieckmann, finished tied for last place in those Summer Olympics, but since Brink has teamed up with Jonas Reckermann (No. 4 on this list) in 2009, the duo has turned heads on the beach volleyball circuit.

Brink and Reckermann had immediate chemistry and won the world title in 2009. Since then, however, the duo has dropped off slightly, but not enough to be a pushover in London. The German duo will be a force to be reckoned with at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

5. Hinrich Romeike, Equestrian

Romeike is a successful veteran in the equestrian events, winning two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing games. He earned the first gold in the team event and the second in the individual event.

Romeike has been competing with the same horse, Marius, since 2003. The duo's first Olympic appearance was in 2004 in Athens, where they finished in fifth place. 

Germany is generally one of the most successful countries in Olympic equestrian events, and that won't change in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Thanks to Romeike, Germany is sure to medal in at least one of the equestrian events.

4. Jonas Reckermann, Beach Volleyball

Reckermann is a veteran of Olympic beach volleyball, but he failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing games. At the 2004 Athens games, Reckermann and his partner, Markus Dieckmann, earned the No. 4 seed, but they were eliminated in the round of 16.

Reckermann paired up with Julius Brink (No. 6 on this list) in 2009, and the duo won the world championship in their first year as teammates. The 2012 Summer Olympics in London may be Reckermann's last shot at a medal.

The 6'7" German turned 33 in March, and his peak days as a top-notch beach volleyball player are winding down. Reckermann and Brink are Germany's best shot at a medal in beach volleyball.

3. Betty Heidler, Track and Field

Event: Hammer throw

Heidler is the current world record holder in the hammer throw, which she set in 2011. She will make her third Olympics appearance at the 2012 games in London.

Heidler hopes that London treats her better than Beijing did. In 2008, Heidler entered Olympic competition as the reigning world champion in the hammer throw, but she vastly underperformed and finished in ninth place. At the 2011 World Championships, Heidler placed second in the hammer throw, but she enters London as the current world record holder, making her a favorite to win the gold.

At age 20, Heidler placed fourth at the 2004 Athens games. After a setback in 2008, she has a strong opportunity to earn a medal in London.

2. Max Hoff, Canoe Sprint

Hoff was new to the canoe sprint event at the 2008 Beijing games, when he finished in fifth place, but he has since harnessed his skills to become arguably the best canoe sprinter in the world. 

Hoff won back-to-back world titles in 2009 and '10, and the stage is set for him to earn his first Olympic medal this summer in London. Hoff began his career as a whitewater paddler (he even won the world championship in the event in 2006), but he switched to canoe sprinting and has blossomed into one of the best in the world.

Based on his results since the Beijing games, it appears that Hoff is peaking at the right time, and he is a safe bet to at least medal in one of his canoe sprinting events. 

1. Timo Boll, Table Tennis

Boll has taken the table tennis world by storm, earning the No. 1 world ranking at the beginning of 2011. Currently, Boll is ranked No. 6 in the world, but he has a chance to put European table tennis on the map at the 2012 London games.

In a sport that is generally dominated by Asian nations at the Olympics, Boll has a solid shot to earn a medal. He won back-to-back European titles in 2007 and '08 and again in '10 and '11. He is the first German to ever earn a No. 1 world ranking in table tennis.

Some say that Boll is the only player in the world who could defeat the top Chinese contenders. China has easily earned more medals in the sport than any other country, but Boll could make history by becoming the first German to win the gold in table tennis.