Olympic Results 2012: Americans Who Have Lived Up to Lofty Expectations

It is not easy winning an Olympic gold medal, but there are some athletes that really make it look that way.

As a whole, Americans love the summer games because it gives them a chance to cheer for athletes in unison as they represent their country. However, past success has caused a certain level of expectations for the top athletes.

Fans have been conditioned to expect nothing less than gold and to be disappointed with silver. This puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the athletes, and it leads to little fanfare when they actually do achieve greatness.

These athletes came into the games with high expectations, but they should be appreciated for reaching those goals and sometimes exceeding them.

Missy Franklin, Swimming

After Michael Phelps torched Beijing for eight gold medals, fans started to expect every U.S. swimmer to win every race they enter. This pressure was put on 17-year-old Missy Franklin, who competed in seven events in London.

Franklin did not go undefeated, but still dominated the competition to show that she is the next big thing in the sport. She finished with four gold medals and one bronze and broke a world record on the 200-meter backstroke.

She is tied with Phelps for the most gold medals of all athletes in the Olympics.

With plenty of time to improve, do not be surprised if she adds many more medals to her career total in the future.

Gabby Douglas, Gymnastics

Jordyn Wieber won the all-around at 2011 World Championships, but the spotlight shifted to Gabby Douglas when she beat Wieber at the Olympic Trials.

American women had begun a tradition of winning the most prestigious event in women's gymnastics with Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin. Douglas was next in line.

She not only won the all-around final, but also was the leading force behind a team victory for the United States. No other American had ever won both in the same year.

The career of a gymnast is not long, but Douglas made her mark on the sport at the most important time and gained millions of fans in the process.

Allyson Felix, Track

Now in her third Olympics, Allyson Felix is close to a household name. She finished with a silver medal in 2004 and 2008, but fans were ready for her to make the leap to the top of the podium in 2012.

A fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash put more pressure on her performance in the 200-meter race.

Fortunately, Felix came through with her first gold medal, running the race in 21.88 seconds. 

She will likely get another chance to win a medal in the relay, but for now, fans should be happy to see someone who has twice come so close to reaching their goal get there.

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