Olympics 2012: Most Impressive Individual Performances in Week 1

The London Olympics feature a collection of the greatest athletes in the world doing amazing things, but some of the competitors have stood out in the first week.

It is difficult to compare skills across sports, but these athletes dominated their competition in the spotlight of high-profile events. Their achievements will be remembered for years to come.

Gabby Douglas, United States, Gymnastics

Prior to these Olympic games, the United States women's gymnastics team had only won one gold medal in the team competition. This year's "Fab Five" matched the "Magnificent Seven" of 1996 to win the gold, but Gabby Douglas went even further.

The Virginia Beach native became the first American to win the all-around competition as well as the team final, and she did both in dominant fashion.

She was the only athlete on the team to compete in all four events to lead the United States to over a five-point victory. In the individual portion, she had the best vault and balance beam routine in the field as she earned herself some more hardware. 

While Jordyn Wieber might have been the gymnast to watch coming into the games, Douglas took over that title this week.

Ye Shiwen, China, Swimming

There are a lot of swimming medals up for grabs, but no one has been more impressive so far than Ye Shiwen. 

The 16-year-old set an Olympic record in the 200-meter individual medley and a world record in the 400-meter individual medley. In two of the most grueling events, Shiwen dominated the competition.

Through Day 6, she is the only athlete in any sport to win two individual gold medals. 

There is little doubt she will be in the running for many more in her career.

Kohei Uchimura, Japan, Gymnastics

The three-time world champion was the overwhelming favorite to win the men's all-around competition, but sometimes expectations only make it harder.

Uchimura did not succumb to the pressure as he improved upon his silver medal in Beijing, and the competition was never really in doubt. The Japanese star was almost flawless throughout the competition after leading his team to the silver medal earlier in the week. 

With this title, Uchimura is now in the conversation for the best male gymnast of all time.

Carmelo Anthony, United States, Basketball

Although Carmelo Anthony plays in a team sport, he was the leader of one of the most dominant Olympic performances in history.

Anthony set an American record with 37 points in only 14 minutes of play as Team USA defeated Nigeria 156-73. The squad set the mark for most points and biggest margin of victory in the Olympics as well.

The NBA All- Star is participating in his third Olympic games and has been a steady force throughout. In this game, he shot 10-12 from three-point range, which is tough to do in an empty gym.

It will not be a surprise to see the U.S. go undefeated in basketball and win gold, but somehow they have still impressed in the early stages of the tournament.

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