Olympic Results 2012: Shocking Failures We Didn't See Coming

It's only Day 1 of the 2012 Summer Games, but we've already seen some crazy results that nobody expected. The biggest shock of the day was when Michael Phelps missed out on a podium finish in one of his strongest events—the 400-meter individual medley.

Phelps' failure isn't the only big stunner from Day 1, though, but that's why they play the games.

Here are the biggest shocks from a busy Day 1 in London:

Michael Phelps Finished in Fourth Place 

Phelps' day got off to an ominous start when he barely qualified for the final in the 400-meter individual medley—an event he's won the past two Summer Games.

Then, in the final, Phelps failed to finish in the top three—something I didn't think was possible, given his success in the past. Teammate Ryan Lochte destroyed Phelps and the field, winning the gold while coming close to beating the world record. 

Afterwards, Phelps spoke about his race, according to the Los Angeles Times:

"

Just a crappy race. I felt fine the first 200. I don't know. I don't think the lane has anything to do with it. It's just really frustrating to start off on a bad note like this. It's pretty upsetting. The biggest thing now is to try to get past this and move forward. I was lucky to get in. I had a chance to put myself in a good spot to start off, and I didn't do it.

"

Phelps is on the verge of breaking the all-time record for most medals in Olympic history. He only needs three medals of any color to do so. I thought he'd have little trouble accomplishing that goal on July 27, but after July 28 I'm not so sure.

Stephanie Rice Finished in Sixth Place

Perhaps Rice should have spent more time training and less time posting sexy pictures of herself on Twitter, because she got blown out of the water in her bid to defend her gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley.

Her sixth-place finish in the women's final is one of the biggest shocks of the day. To be fair, Rice has been battling a shoulder injury for two years, according to the Herald Sun. Combined with the record-breaking swim of 16-year-old Chinese star Shiwen Ye, Rice struggled to hang with the lead pack.

These first two shockers from Phelps and Rice prove that it's not easy to stay on top. Every year, athletes are getting younger, stronger and faster, and even the legends must give way.

Zhang Xi and Xue Chen Lose Opener

Zhang Xi and Xue Chen combine to form the No. 2 women's beach volleyball duo in the world, according to FIVB.org.

Their first opponents of these Olympic Games were Russian duo Anastasia Vasina and Anna Vozakova—the No. 29 ranked team in the world.

Therefore, it was a huge shock when the Russians defeated the Chinese in their opening round, winning the last two sets in dominant fashion. The final scores are as follows: China won the first set 21-18. Russia won the next two sets 21-14, 16-14. 

These three shocking failures from some of the world's favorites to win gold prove that nothing is guaranteed in sports. That's why they play the game. The best teams and athletes on paper don't always win, which is one of the biggest reasons we love to watch.

Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as we cover every aspect of the 2012 Summer Games. Thank you for reading, and have a good weekend.

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