Summer Olympics 2016: Top Athletes, Event Schedule and Medal History
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games begin on Friday, as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosts the world's favourite sporting event.
A glittering opening ceremony will precede a cacophony of events, as the world focuses on the stars of track and field and a number of niche sports that operate under the Olympic banner.
Medals will be awarded for the best-performing athlete or team in each category, with the winners taking the prestigious gold back to their homelands.
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The St. Louis 1904 Games in the United States was the first Olympic showcase to award gold, silver and bronze medals to highlight the achievements of the top three competitors. At the time, the medals were pinned to participants' chests; the Rome 1960 Games started the tradition of hanging them around the athletes' necks.
Here is the full schedule for every medal event on show in Rio, as well as top athletes to look out for throughout August:
| Opening Ceremony | August 5 |
| Archery | August 5-12 |
| Artistic Gymnastics | August 6-16 |
| Athletics | August 12-21 |
| Badminton | August 11-20 |
| Basketball | August 6-21 |
| Beach Volleyball | August 6- 18 |
| Boxing | August 6-21 |
| Canoe Slalom | August 7-11 |
| Canoe Sprint | August 15-20 |
| Cycling BMX | August 17-19 |
| Cycling Mountain Bike | August 20-21 |
| Cycling Road | August 6-10 |
| Cycling Track | August 11-16 |
| Diving | August 7-20 |
| Equestrian | August 6-19 |
| Fencing | August 6-14 |
| Football | August 3-20 |
| Golf | August 11-20 |
| Handball | August 6-21 |
| Field Hockey | August 6-19 |
| Judo | August 6-12 |
| Marathon Swimming | August 15-16 |
| Modern Pentathlon | August 18-20 |
| Rhythmic Gymnastics | August 19-21 |
| Rowing | August 6-13 |
| Rugby Sevens | August 6-11 |
| Sailing | August 8-18 |
| Shooting | August 6-14 |
| Swimming | August 6-13 |
| Synchronised Swimming | August 14-19 |
| Table Tennis | August 6-17 |
| Taekwondo | August 17-20 |
| Tennis | August 6-14 |
| Trampoline Gymnastics | August 12-13 |
| Triathlon | August 18-20 |
| Volleyball | August 6-21 |
| Water Polo | August 6-20 |
| Weightlifting | August 6-16 |
| Wrestling | August 14-21 |
Lilly King
Lilly King of the United States is expected to prevail in the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke.
She is the fastest woman in the world in her disciplines and swept to victory during the Olympic trials, and she captured the NCAA titles this year.
The 19-year-old is one of the Games' unassuming starlets who is likely to see her fame skyrocket if she sticks to the form book in Brazil.
IndyStar Sports highlighted King's likelihood of gold has dramatically increased due to the omission of Russia's top talent, Yulia Efimova:
King will become one of America's true success stories in Rio if she can hold her nerve and top the winner's rostrum. She is a relaxed and likable character but will have to find a new intensity to remain focused at her first Summer Games.
Omar McLeod
Jamaican speed merchant Omar McLeod should dominate the 110-metre hurdles. He has been almost unstoppable in the event this season.
He holds the fastest time in the world this season and is expected to take the sprint hurdle event alongside his compatriot Usain Bolt, who chases repeated success in the 100 metres.
McLeod was the NCAA indoor champion in 2014 and grabbed the outdoor crown last year after retaining his indoor title. The sprinter has already made inroads onto the all-time list of the fastest hurdlers, despite only being 22 years old, and he has a decade of certain success ahead of him.
The Caribbean athlete made huge strides when he arrived at the University of Arkansas and has developed into a world-class athlete in a short space of time.
Fellow first-time Olympian Devon Allen of the United States is a major rival for the gold medal, but McLeod is the man to beat in Rio.
Simone Biles
American artistic gymnast Simone Biles can smash through the glass ceiling in Brazil. She is the first woman to win three straight world championships, and she has won a record 10 gold medals at the worlds.
She is considered the best on the planet at her discipline, and if she does not win the gold, eyebrows will be raised from the United States, which expects great things from the superstar.
Here is a profile of the athlete as she bids for her first Olympic win:
Biles is unrivalled domestically and carries the weight of expectation on her shoulders. She is already close to being considered the greatest of all time but must add the Olympic title to her honours list.
Biles is not yet a household name, but she can become a star at the Summer Games. No one can stop the multiple national champion at present.
King, McLeod and Biles are the best on the planet, but they will need to produce at the top of their capabilities to leapfrog a hungry field intent on the chase.
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