London 2012 Olympics: Most Shocking and Outrageous Predictions for Games

You need not look further than the Miracle on Ice in 1980 to know that the Olympic Games are teeming with unpredictability. Here we will detail some of the seemingly far-fetched possibilities that could happen in London.

The coming weeks will be chock full of intrigue and excitement, but there will also be plenty of absurdities.

Some athletes will come out of nowhere to shock the world and win hearts over with an underdog tale. Others will be highly touted but ultimately fail to succeed. How will we react when some of our favorite stars fail to win gold or even reach the podium? That is the fun that comes with the unpredictability of the Summer Olympics.

Usain Bolt Will Lose the 100 Meter

This Olympiad's class of short-distance sprinters is the most talented we have seen in many years. There are three or four contenders with a legitimate shot to knock Usain Bolt off the top of the sprinting world.

Bolt cruised to three gold medals and three world records four years ago in Beijing and will be looking to do the same in London. However, his countryman Yohann Blake has come on strong in 2011 and is the current world champion in the 100. 

Also hot on Bolt's heels is Asafa Powell, who made the final heat in Beijing, and American returnee Tyson Gay.

Bolt beat the closest competitor by a full .2 seconds in 2008. It is fair to say that an outrageous prediction would have him losing in 2012.

Michael Phelps Will Not Win Any Gold Medals

Michael Phelps won an unprecedented eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games, a new record surpassing Mark Spitz' seven in 1972.

In 2012, Phelps will not win a single gold medal. There is no doubt he will reach the podium, probably a few times. However, after earning six in Athens and eight in Beijing, Phelps will leave London with the 14 golds he came with, no more.

As far as reasoning goes, there is admittedly little behind this shocking prediction, but Phelps is now 27 years old, which is up there for a male swimmer. His competition is continuing to get younger and younger as well, allowing them to marginally catch up with his power.

Despite all the interviews and posturing being done in the lead-up, Phelps has accomplished everything and may not be 110-percent focused like he was four years ago. We won't know until he touches the final wall of his first race next week.

Team USA Basketball Loses Before the Gold-Medal Game

There will be two or three teams in the Olympics who can give the United States a good game and possibly upset the defending gold medalists.

If Team USA is lucky, they will only have to face on of these teams in the gold-medal game. If they have to face one of them in an earlier round when the game doesn't have their full attention, an upset could be brewing.

They do have a few sizable weaknesses, particularly in the frontcourt with a lack of experienced size. A team like Spain can expose that with the Gasol brothers and Serge Ibaka. More will be known following the exhibition showdown Tuesday evening.

If that is a preview of the gold-medal game, I like Team USA. If the matchup, or one similar, comes before the finals, I'd have to rethink things. 

Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Lochte Get into the Rivalry

A bit of fun here.

The rivalry between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte is well-documented, and the two will be swimming head-to-head in two individual events in London. 

We all know how visible Deborah Phelps is at the Games and in commercials now, but the Lochte family is a bit more of a mystery. All the same, a nice fun family rivalry in the stands would be wondrous for the cameras who have developed quite a fondness for Mother Phelps. 

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Won't Reach the Podium

The London Olympics may spell the end of a legendary pairing in beach volleyball. The duo of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, who once won 112 straight matches, may be participating in their last tournament. 

The two teamed up to win the gold medal at both the 2004 Athens Games and the 2008 Beijing Games. Now at 34 and 33, respectively, they will look to once again fend off the challengers and look for the three-peat.

There are two or three teams out there that can legitimately give May-Treanor and Walsh a run for their money. While it would be an abrupt and unceremonious end to an amazing run, it wouldn't surprise me if they fly back home empty-handed this year.

Team USA Will Win a Medal in Badminton, Handball or Table Tennis

For all their dominance in the final medal counts of the Olympics, there are still three sports that the USA has never won a medal in. 

The Americans have never placed in the top three in Badminton, Handball or Table Tennis. This makes an outrageous prediction in saying that this is the summer that street ends and America earns a medal in one of these three sports. 

Since there will be no American entrant into Handball, those medals are out. The Americans do feature one male and three female athletes in the Table Tennis competition. The three females are 16-year-olds Ariel Hsing, Erica Wu and Lily Zhang, while 20-year-old Timothy Wang will compete in men's singles.  

There will be three badminton athletes representing the red, white and blue in London as well. Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach will play in men's doubles while 20-year-old Rena Wang battles in women's singles.