Olympics Swimming 2012: Deep American Team Will Lead to Huge Medal Haul

Any time a swimming team has Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte leading the way it's safe to assume the squad will be highly successful. That's certainly the case for the United States team, which features an impressive supporting cast to go with its two superstars.

Phelps and Lochte have dominated the headlines leading up to the London Olympics. The teammates have been transformed into rivals as Phelps looks to go out on top in his final Games while Lochte tries to take over as the face of the sport.

When they are entered in the same race, it's basically like everybody else is racing for third place. The dynamic duo has a chance to reach a double-digit total in medals all by themselves, which will be more than some countries.

There will be no shortage of support for Phelps and Lochte. There will be nearly 50 American swimmers taking to the pool in London and many of them have a great chance to come home with a medal.

Among the other top contenders on the men's side are Matt Grevers, Cullen Jones and Tyler McGill. And that's just in the individual events. The relay teams are going to be stacked as well, which equals even more medals.

On the women's side, there should be just as much optimism.

It all starts with Missy Franklin. The 17-year-old rising star is well on her way to becoming the next big American swimming star. She will compete in seven events in London and it wouldn't be surprising to see her walk away with seven medals.

As dominant as Phelps has been during his career, Franklin has the potential to do the same exact thing before she's finished. An athlete’s first trip to the Olympics is always a learning experience, but Franklin has handled everything thrown her way like a true pro.

Another name to keep an eye out for is Allison Schmitt. She won a bronze medal four years ago at the Beijing Games as a part of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay team. Now she's ready to have more success on an individual level.

Rebecca Soni, Breeja Larson, Elizabeth Beisel and Dana Vollmer all have a legitimate chance to win gold too. It's one of the best groups of female swimmers the United States has ever had.

All told, the American swimming team is going to walk out of London with a lot of shiny pieces of medal around their necks. They will make up a sizable portion of the country's total medal haul.

So while Phelps and Lochte steal the headlines, the rest of the team will have their fair share of Olympic highlights as well.