London Olympics 2012: Small-Sport Athletes Who Will Steal the Show

While much of the focus during the 2012 London Olympics promises to be on the high-profile sports like basketball, swimming, gymnastics and others, one of the best parts of the Summer Games is watching events that you wouldn't normally care about and connecting with athletes you have no prior knowledge of.

There will be plenty of that in London, as the vast majority of sports on the program aren't really in the public eye during the four years between Summer Olympiads. While you may only care about the premier athletes in these sports for a couple of weeks and forget about them after that, they truly have the eyes of the world on them when they succeed.

Here are five athletes from unheralded sports that will dominate the London Olympics and put their events on the map, if only for a brief time.

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Mariel Zagunis, Fencing

Fencing has been an Olympic mainstay since 1924, but women's sabre wasn't added to the program until 2004 in Athens. That means that 2012 will mark the third women's sabre event, and there is absolutely no doubt that American star Mariel Zagunis is the odds-on favorite.

Zagunis is the two-time defending gold medalist in the event, as she was victorious in Athens and Beijing, and there has been no sign of her slowing down. She won the 2009 and 2010 World Championships in sabre and finished second in 2011.

On top of her individual performance, Zagunis will be a part of the favored American squad in team sabre. She, Sada Jacobson and Becca Ward were upset and took bronze in Beijing, but Zagunis will be in search of double-gold in London.

Wang Hao, Table Tennis

Table tennis is a sport that has largely been dominated by Chinese athletes since its Olympic inception, so it should come as no surprise that Chinese star Wang Hao is expected to take home the gold in men's singles. Hao was a top contender in both Athens and Beijing but took silver on both occasions, so he will be in search of gold this time around.

Hao lost in the finals to countryman Ma Lin last Olympics, but Lin will not be competing, so the door is wide open for the 28-year-old Hao. China is expected to win gold in the event every single Olympics, so there is no doubt that there is a lot of pressure on him to succeed.

Even so, Hao has all the tools to be an Olympic champion, and it is just a matter of him putting it all together in the gold-medal round.

Anky van Grunsven, Equestrian

Whether or not you consider equestrian to be a true sport, there is no question that winning three consecutive Olympic gold medals in an event is a rare and impressive feat. Doing it four times truly puts an athlete in rarefied air, however.

Dutch equestrian star Anky van Grunsven took gold in Sydney, Athens and Beijing in individual dressage, and she is back for a fourth try in London.

Perhaps as impressive as van Grunsven herself is her horse Salinero. While van Grunsven rode Bonfire to gold in 2000, she was with Salinero in both 2004 and 2008. Now, at the age of 18, Salinero will go for his third title in addition to van Grunsven's fourth gold. 

The Netherlands isn't exactly known as a Summer Olympics powerhouse, but van Grunsven has been automatic the past few Games and is aiming to become one of the most decorated Olympic athletes ever.

Artur Taymazov, Freestyle Wrestling

Perhaps you know more about professional wrestling than freestyle wrestling, but freestyle wrestling is certainly one of the most grueling sports featured in the Olympics. The men battle across seven different weight classes, but the super heavyweight division has been dominated by Uzbekistan star Artur Taymazov.

Taymazov took home gold in 2008 and 2004, and back in 2000 he won a silver medal in Sydney. He qualified for the event in London and is coming off an Asian Championship last year, so Taymazov has a solid chance at three straight golds and four consecutive medal-winning performances overall.

Although Taymazov is 33 years of age, he is in superior physical condition and should be able to deal with some of the younger men he is bound to face. Regardless of what Taymazov accomplishes in London, however, he will always be viewed as one of Uzbekistan's greatest Olympic athletes.

Karen Cockburn, Trampoline

Trampoline was added to the Olympic program in Sydney back in 2000, and only one woman has managed to medal each of the three times it has been featured. That woman is Canadian star Karen Cockburn, who will try to win an unprecedented fourth medal in the event this summer. Cockburn has yet to take gold, though, so she won't rest on her laurels.

Cockburn took the bronze in 2000 and won silver i the past two Olympiads. Cockburn is now 31 years old and trampoline is more of a young person's sport, so this may very well be her last chance at golden glory. Even if Cockburn doesn't win gold, there is no doubt that she is the most prolific athlete the sport has ever seen.

A medal of any kind would be a great way to close out her Olympic career if London is indeed it for her, though. She has consistently been one of Canada's top medal hopes, and the same will be true this year.