Olympic Swimming 2012: Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps and More Stars You Can't Miss

Many of the swimming events in the Olympic Games have come and gone.

American fans might feel slightly disappointed in the outcome of these races thus far, seeing how megastars Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte have failed to live up to the hype that has surrounded them.

Phelps and Lochte have still each collected medals and are very much alive for more hardware.

Here are the Olympic swimmers you must see during the rest of the 30th Olympiad.

Ryan Lochte

His star may be fading in the eyes of some in these Games, but Ryan Lochte is one of swimming's brightest stars. He has three races in these Olympics to prove it.

It seemed like Lochte was on the cusp of being crowned as the next great swimming icon when he bested fellow teammate Micheal Phelps in the 400-meter individual medley on opening night.

A day after his triumph, Lochte faded during the last leg of the 4x100 meter freestyle relay, costing his team a shot at the gold.

Lochte also failed to medal in the 200-meter freestyle on Monday, when he finished fourth behind France's Yannick Agnel. Agnel is the same man who caught him in the final 50 meters of the 4x100 relay.

This is not what American fans were expecting out of Lochte and Phelps, but we are probably suffering from a case of severe overconfidence.

Historic medal hauls like Phelps' run in Beijing are rare. Expecting a 13-medal run out of these two was a bit arrogant against the best competition in the world.

Lochte still has three races to redeem himself, and he still has a tremendous chance to leave London as one of swimming's best. 

Yannick Agnel

Yannick Agnel has certainly made a name for himself during the 30th Olympiad.

The 20-year-old French star anchored an epic come-from-behind gold-medal win over Ryan Lochte and the rest of the American team in the 4x100 freestyle relay. 

A day later, he beat Lochte again and won another gold in the 200 freestyle.

Agnel bested many of swimming's best in what was dubbed as the "Race of the Century" on Monday while posting the best time ever in the 200 free by a Frenchman.

He is swimming in the 100-meter freestyle and part of two other French relay teams during the London Games, so Agnel has a chance for an amazing Olympic debut.

Missy Franklin

Missy Franklin might just be the female Michael Phelps.

The Colorado native is only 17, and after earning a medal in her first two events, Franklin is on the verge of stardom.

Franklin was part of the 4x100-meter freestyle team that won the bronze medal on Sunday.

She followed that by winning her first individual medal on Monday evening, when she got gold in the 100-meter backstroke.

At the tender young age of 17, you can bet that Franklin will be a huge star for years to come.

Ye Shiwen

The 16-year-old Chinese prodigy Ye Shiwen caused quite a stir when she torched the field in the 400-meter individual medley and posted a ridiculous record time of four minutes, 28.43 seconds.

She bested the field by three seconds, and because of this, many—including Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson—are now speculating that performance-enhancing drugs might be the reason for her dominance.

Critics were shocked by the fact that Shiwen posted a time in the last 50 meters better than that of Ryan Lochte, who remains one the best male swimmers in the world.

We should simply marvel at the spectacle of Ye's accomplishments, but the doping allegations are not going to go away anytime soon.

Michael Phelps

The most decorated swimmer and possibly the most celebrated Olympian in history would surely find his way on here.

Despite his disappointing fourth-place finish in the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps is still very much on track to break astonishing records while he is in London.

Two medals is all that separates Phelps from having more medals than anyone in Olympic history.

He has four races left, and if his performance in Sunday evening's 400 freestyle relay is any indication, Phelps should be fine.

He raced an impressive split, and Phelps has some of his best events ahead of him.

Phelps excels in both butterfly events and will be a good medal pick with the rest of the Americans in relays.

The first few days of swimming might be considered a letdown for American fans, but let's not forget that Phelps' eight-gold-medal haul in Beijing was a unique accomplishment. And don't forget that Michael Phelps is still the best swimmer in the world.