Olympics 2012: Athletes Who Will Finally Break Through

The 2012 Summer Olympics are littered with favorites and hopefuls. Not everyone can be Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt or the handful of other consistently dominant performers.

This year's Olympics also features "underdogs." Everyone in London is talented, but these athletes have yet to have their moment in the sun for one reason or another.

Athletes don't get many chances to reach the peak of Olympic achievement, this may be the last one for many of them.

Let's take a look at five athletes who want to have an impressive showing in London.

Lolo Jones

Lolo Jones entered Beijing's Olympics as the best 100-meter hurdler in the world, but she lost. She clipped the ninth hurdle, and she failed to attain the medal that she expected to earn.

This year she will win a medal. She may not win the gold, as beating Sally Pearson will be more than difficult, but Jones is going to finish in the top three.

She finished third at the US Olympic Trials with a time of 12.86 seconds. She enters London as a definite underdog, but the Olympics have to have at least one unlikely champion.

Jones is a great story, and it's time for her to make a better Olympic memory than the one she left us with in 2008. 

Milorad Cavic

Milorad Cavic barely lost to Michael Phelps in the 100-meter butterfly at Beijing in 2008. Check out the video. It was a crazy finish with Phelps eventually winning the gold medal.

Cavic knows how close he was to beating Phelps. He will be out to avenge that loss and spoil Phelps' final Olympic hurrah. Expect him to be there until the end this time as well.

Losing to an icon by 0.01 seconds can't feel good. According to Cavic's Olympic profile on nbcolympics.com, that was the margin in 2008. Phelps isn't as strong of a swimmer, and Cavic will deliver an upset of reasonably big proportions.

If Phelps is racing people expect him to win. Cavic will spoil that in London.

What actually happened: Cavic qualified for the finals in the 100 fly, but he failed to medal. His fourth-place finish is disappointing to him and less than we expected from the talented Serb.

Kerron Clement

Clement has won two World Championships in the 400-meter hurdles, but he's never tasted Olympic gold.

That will all change in London. He's due for a breakout performance, and he had a very impressive showing at the trials. He finished third, but had a strong race overall.

Clement won a silver medal in Beijing. He knows what it's like to be close to victory, only to miss it by a hair. That bitter taste will propel him to victory this time around.

He carried expectations into Beijing as one of the United States' best track athletes, but he came up just short of the ultimate prize. That could change in London.

What actually happened: Kerron Clement qualified for the final heat in London with his semifinal run on Saturday. He finished third in the first heat, but his time was good enough for a top-eight finish overall. He had a 48.12 second run, but he will have to run faster if he wants to beat Felix Sanchez in Monday's final.

Victoria Komova

Komova isn't old enough to reach the "finally" stage of breaking through, but she can still come up big on the international stage. Her team, on the other hand, is long overdue, so this works in its own odd way.

The Russian team didn't win any medals in Beijing, and they will be hungry for a victory in London. Komova is one of their best all-around competitors. She hasn't had a major breakthrough in her gymnastics career yet, but the stage is set for her to deliver a big performance. 

The way this works is two-fold. Komova is looking for a breakthrough after finishing second in the World Championships, and the Russian team is looking to return to dominance after many years of obscurity.

What actually happened: Komova and her Russian team each earned silver medals. Komova finished behind Gabby Douglas in the women's individual all-around final by less than a point, and Russia lost to Team USA in the final.

Allison Schmitt

Allison Schmitt will participate in the 400-meter and 200-meter freestyle races in London.

Schmitt finished ninth in the 200-meter freestyle in Beijing. She finished first at the 2012 US Olympic Swimming Trials, setting a new American record, and she will ride that momentum into the Summer Games.

Everything is going in her favor. The time is now for Schmitt, and she will get it done. Momentum can do a lot for an athlete's psyche and hers is at an all-time high. 

Swimming fans expect big performances from Missy Franklin and Rebecca Soni, but not Schmitt. She will prove them wrong and deliver.

What actually happened: Schmitt took five medals in London. She won gold in the 200-meter freestyle, the 4x200 freestyle and the 4x100 individual medley. Schmitt also took silver in the 400-meter freestyle and earned a bronze in the 4x100 freestyle relay. She has enjoyed huge success in London and has been one of Team USA's most decorated performers.