Olympic Swimming 2012: Unheralded Team USA Stars to Watch in Week 1

With the 2012 Summer Olympics from London, England underway, the focus has shifted from the glory and majesty of the opening ceremonies to the fast-paced action.

No sport has more fast-paced action than the men’s and women’s swimming events; that’s where Team USA has been stealing the spotlight in positive and negative ways.

While many fans want to focus on Michael Phelps' fall from glory or his competition with fellow star Ryan Lochte, there are unheralded stars that need to be the focus.

All of the following stars will shine under the pressure of the 2012 Olympics.

Cullen Jones

While many causal fans may not know Cullen Jones as more than just a relay racer, they will be pleasantly surprised when he races and gets a gold medal for the USA in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle events.

Jones told the USA Today about the increased pressure and how excited he is to handle it:

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The amount of pressure that's put on me is a lot more than in 2008. It's a lot more meaningful. … I know that people are expecting me to step up and do my part. I love being on the relays, but being in an individual event just (means) so much to me.

"

Jones is one of the biggest favorites in both of the individual events he is entering, and the fans of the sport should get behind this young star and his wonderful story. Team USA is all about homegrown stars and Jones’ story of adversity and overcoming obstacles makes him a true hero.

Rebecca Soni

While most fans should know Rebecca Soni by now—not only because she won gold and silver in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes, respectively—but because she is captain of the women’s swimming team.

Soni is the team’s best breaststroker and arguably the best in the world. With the women's 200-meter backstroke scheduled for Friday, August 3, the focus will shift to the star as the week progresses.

With a week full of controversy, success and failures, there is no better or no more appropriate way to end Week 1 than by having Rebecca Soni steal the show.

Dana Vollmer

After her amazing gold medal and world record performance in the 100-meter butterfly, the name Dana Vollmer is on the lips of hardcore and casual swimming fans alike.

With another chance at glory in the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay, Vollmer has already proven that she is a legend in the making but wants even more.

If the Vollmer can lead the team to a win during their relay, the women’s dominance in swimming during the 2012 Olympics would be something of legend. Vollmer is now a star.

Check back for more on the 2012 Summer Olympics as it comes, and don’t miss Bleacher Report’s Olympics page to get your fill of the best athletes the world has to offer.

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