London Olympics 2012: Predictions and Analysis for Closest Events

The closer the events, the better the Olympics.

It's simple math, really.

If you were to make a list of the most thrilling moments from Beijing in 2008, I'm guessing Team USA's constant 30-point drubbings in basketball wouldn't come close to the swimming relay that saw Jason Lezak and the Americans beat Alain Bernard and France by a fingernail in arguably the most thrilling finish ever.

Seriously, go back and watch that race and try not to get chills.

Those are the moments we want in London.

Luckily, there are plenty of events that are still too tough to call and should have you on the edge of your seat. Let's take a look at those events. 

Women's Beach Volleyball

Women's beach volleyball is going to come down to four teams.

First, you have the Brazilians, Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva, who are ranked first in the world. The winners of the 2011 World Championships in Rome have yet to medal in the Olympics but should still be looked at as the favorites.

Ranked second in the world are Zhang Xi and Xue Chen, the talented duo who took bronze home to China at the 2008 Olympics. It's unsure whether they have the skills to take out the top dogs, but you at least know they'll be around near the end. 

Then you have the Americans. 

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh is the duo everyone knows. They won gold in 2004 and 2008 and will be looking to give it one last hurrah for the three-peat.

Ready to challenge them are fellow Americans April Ross and Jen Kessy. The former USC Trojans won gold at the World Championships in 2009, and while they don't have the achievements of Treanor and Walsh, they have the skills to challenge them. 

Any four of these pairs could beat anyone else on any given day, so this one is going to be a bit of a toss-up. 

Common sense would be to go with Treanor and Walsh, who have proven they know how to get it done on the biggest stage, but I'm feeling an upset.

The gold will stay with the Americans, but it will be Ross and Kessy who take it home. 

Tennis

Roger Federer will return to the same court at which he won his record seventh Wimbledon title less than a month ago, but that doesn't mean he's a lock for the gold. 

Players he'll have to get by include Novak Djokovic, the man who held the world No. 1 ranking for so long before FedEx finally took it back, and Andy Murray, who looked to be on top of his game against Federer in the finals. 

But that's just the start of it.

Those two will likely give Federer the most problems, but when it's the best of three sets instead of best of five, things become much more of a crapshoot. 

Players who get off to hot starts can pull upsets much easier, making the entire tournament wide open. 

With that being said, I'm going with a bit of an upset pick, although not a huge one. I'll take Andy Murray, the Scot, to bring home gold for Great Britain. 

Murray played better than I've ever seen him play earlier this month at Wimbledon, and he has the huge first serve that could prove beneficial in getting out to an early lead, something that is important in three-set matches. 

Women's 100-Meter Dash

Much like most of the sprinting events—from both the men's and women's side—this one will come down to Jamaica versus the United States. 

Jamaican Shelly Ann Fraser, who took home gold in 2008 at Beijing, is the slight favorite to win the 100-meter dash, but she has plenty of competitors who will give her a, ahem, run for her money. 

Most notably, Carmelita Jeter. The American won gold at the 2011 World Championships and looks primed to steal the gold from Fraser. 

Additionally, Jamaican Veronica Campbell Brown, who took home the silver in 2011, and American Allyson Felix will also be near the leaders—if not ahead—when the ladies approach the finish line. 

When you have four sprinters this similar in the 100, you know things are going to be exciting.

As far as my prediction, I have to go with Jeter. She is coming off a huge performance in Daegu and has the skills to take out Fraser. 

Football

Olympic football doesn't get nearly the same amount of press as the World Cup or even Euro Cup because competition is limited to 23-year-olds and under (with the exception of three overage players).

But in case you haven't noticed, the world is starting to produce some ridiculously talented young studs. This might be the year football at the Olympics finally breaks through.

First you have Brazil, led by Neymar, Alexandre Pato, Hulk and an absolute slew of other stars who have already made huge impacts at the world stage. 

The Brazilians will be the favorites, but there are plenty of other impressive young squads that will be able to up-end 2008's bronze medalists. 

Spain is always a force, no matter what level of competition. Juan Mata and David de Gea have already made huge impacts on the Premier League while Jordi Alba proved to be one of the best young players in the world at the Euro Cup.

Uruguay, led by Luis Suarez, consistently produces young talent. Great Britian has an insane amount of EPL talent. Even Switzerland and Mexico have teams that will prove dangerous. 

The talent near the bottom of this tourney isn't near the same as most World Cups, but there's no questioning how much skill the best teams still have. Things are going to be very fun once we get down to the quarterfinals and beyond.

While Brazil is the favorite, I have to go with Spain. It's too foolish to bet against a Spanish football squad, no matter the location, no matter the tournament.  

Swimming

Any swimming event with Michael Phelps matching up against Ryan Lochte is going to be must-watch TV, but the two events I'm most looking forward to are the 200-meter individual medley and 400-meter individual medley.

Phelps, who is trying to establish himself as the greatest Olympian of all-time, took gold in both events in 2004 and 2008, but Lochte is no pushover. 

In fact, The Lochtenator holds the world record in both events and won both golds at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai. 

If you are trying to find a race that will provide a true photo finish, either of these events are the ones to pay attention.

I'm taking Lochte to grab gold in both. He's proven to be too good in the individual medley races in the past year, even for Phelps.

The Baltimore Bullet can rest assured, though, because it would be surprising if he doesn't win all his other races, smashing every remaining record in the process. 

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