James Magnussen: Australian Swimmer Poses Greatest Threat to Team USA

James "The Missile" Magnussen is not going to be beaten in the 100-meter freestyle. While the Americans have a loaded and dominant squad, they won't be able to hang with Magnussen in his preferred event. 

Magnussen burst onto the scene in 2010, and he has only been getting better since. In the 2010 Australian Swimming Championships, he took third in the 100-free by finishing with a time of 49.43 seconds. That number seems downright pedestrian now. 

At the 2011 Shanghai World Championships, Magnussen took first with a time of 48.29. A highly impressive time, but it is still nothing compared to what he is ready to do in London. 

At these past Australian Olympic Swimming Trials, Magnussen cruised to the victory, and he did so with the fastest time of the year (47.10). That is not far off the 46.91 world record held by Brazil's Cesar Cielo. And that time is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Reuters offered up this quote from Magnussen: 

"

I'm in a better place now than I was at the Olympic trials, where I raced with a bit of sickness. I think that was actually one of my poorer races.

"

This is not good news for the rest of the Olympic hopefuls, and that includes the Americans. Nathan Adrian and Cullen Jenkins will be representing the U.S. in the 100-free. They finished, respectively, with times of 48.10 and 48.46 at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Magnussen will also compete in the 50-free, but he is not nearly as dominant in that event. He qualified for the Olympics in the event with a time of 21.74. That is behind both Americans set to battle in the 50 free. Cullen Jones and Anthony Ervin qualified for the U.S. with times of 21.59 and 21.60 respectively.  

Still, the way Magnussen is improving, he can't be counted out in that event either. 

When it is all said and done, it is safe to expect "The Missile" leaving London with at least one gold and a new world record.