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Getting acquainted with the USA Track & Field Olympians
Brittney Reese looks to defend her gold medal from the 2012 London Games in the long jump in Rio. USA TODAY Sports

Getting acquainted with the USA Track & Field Olympians

The Summer Olympics are a showcase of many talents, but no discipline commands the spotlight quite like track and field. And over the years, the United States has shined in many track events.

This year in Rio should be no different, with a host of Team USA track and field stars expected to reach the medal stand. Let's take a look at who will represent the United States in some of the premier events at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, which begin Friday.

Men's Team

Bradley Adkins: A 22-year-old high jumper from Texas Tech, Adkins is making his first Olympic appearance. He was the 2014 Outdoor High Jump Champion in the Big 12.

Devon Allen: A wide receiver for the Oregon football team, Allen qualified to represent the United States in the 110-meter hurdles. He finished first in the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Ronnie Ash: Ash qualified for the men's 110-meter hurdles at age 28. He won silver in the 2014 Continental Cup.

Chris Benard: The 26-year-old Benard is making his first Olympic appearance, qualifying for the men's triple jump. He finished 11th at the 2016 World Indoor Championships.

Marvin Bracy: Bracy will run the 100 and 4x100 relay in his first Olympic appearance. The 22-year-old from Florida State won the silver medal in the 60 at the 2014 World Indoor Championships.

Trayvon Bromell: Bromell is participating in his first Olympics at age 21 after taking the bronze medal at the 2015 Beijing World Championships in the 100-meter sprint. He will participate in the 100 and 4x100 relay.

Will Claye: This is Claye's second Olympics after winning silver in the triple jump and bronze in the long jump in 2012. He only qualified for the triple jump this time around.

Kyle Clemons: Clemons was a gold medal winner in the men's 4x400-meter relay at the 2015 World Championships and will try to do the same in the Olympics.

Kerron Clement: Clement is set to participate in the 400-meter hurdles at age 30. He won silver in the event in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a gold in the 4x400-meter relay. Rio is his third Olympics as he hopes to make it back to the medal stand.

Christian Coleman: The 20-year-old Coleman is a student at Tennessee and a participant in the 4x100-meter relay. He took gold in the NACAC Under-23 Championship in the event this year.

Ryan Crouser: The 6-foot-7 Crouser won the men's U.S. Olympic Trials to participate in his first Olympics.

Logan Cunningham: Cunningham is participating in his first Olympics in the men's pole vault after setting a personal best earlier this season.

Ashton Eaton: Perhaps the best athlete in the world, Eaton won gold in the men's decathlon at the 2012 London Games and is heavily favored to repeat this time around. Most recently, he won gold in the heptathlon at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and decathlon at the 2015 World Championships.

Justin Gatlin: One of Usain Bolt's archrivals, Gatlin won three medals in the 2004 Athens Games and one bronze in 2012. At age 34, he's participating in his third Olympics and will run in the men's 100, 200 and 4x100 relay. Even past his prime age, Gatlin could take home three more medals.

Tyson Gay: Gay is participating in his third Olympics at age 34 but has never won a medal. He has a chance to change that trend running in the 4x100-meter relay.

Arman Hall: Hall is a participant in the men's 4x400-meter relay at age 22. He won gold in the event at the 2013 World Championships.

Michael Hartfield: Hartfield was added to the U.S. Olympic team to compete in the men's long jump. He's participating in his first Olympics.

Jeff Henderson: Henderson is in his first Olympics at age 27 and has a chance to medal after winning gold in the 2015 Pan Am Games in the long jump.

Darrell Hill: After finishing fourth in the 2015 Pan Am Games, Hill hopes to medal in his first Olympics in the shot put.

Sam Kendricks: Kendricks won silver in the pole vault at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and is participating in his first Olympics at age 23. He could be the U.S. team's best hope to medal in the event.

Joe Kovacs: One of the favorites to win gold in the men's shot put, Kovacs is coming off gold at the 2015 World Championships. The 27-year-old is participating in his first Olympic Games after just missing out on qualifying for the London Games.

Erik Kynard: Kynard won silver in the men's high jump at the 2012 London Games and most recently won bronze at the 2016 World Indoor Championships. He will try to ascend to gold at age 25.

Jarrion Lawson: Lawson is in his first Olympics as a long jumper at age 22. He qualified for Rio after setting a person record at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Tony McQuay: McQuay will run in the men's 4x400-meter relay for the second straight Olympics after winning the silver medal in London. He won gold in the event at the 2015 World Championships.

LaShawn Merritt: Merritt has a full slate in Rio, running in the men's 200, 400 and 4x400 relay. Rio is his third Olympics, and he won gold in the 400 in 2008.

Jeff Porter: Porter will run in the men's 110-meter hurdles after running in the same event in the 2012 London Olympics. He qualified by finishing third place at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Gil Roberts: Roberts is taking part in his first Olympics and will run in the 400 and 4x400 relay. He's an alumnus of Texas Tech.

Ricky Robertson: Robertson is participating in his first Olympics, qualifying for the high jump. He's an alumnus of Ole Miss.

Byron Robinson: Robinson will run in the 400-meter hurdles at age 21 after finishing second place in the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Mike Rodgers: Rodgers is competing in the men's 4x100-meter relay at age 31. He won four NAIA Championships while in college.

Cale Simmons: Simmons qualified for his first Olympics in the pole vault at age 25.

Jeremy Taiwo: Taiwo finished second in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the men's decathlon behind defending gold medalist Ashton Eaton. He's participating in his first Olympics.

Christian Taylor: The defending gold medalist in the men's triple jump at the 2012 London Games, Taylor has a great chance to defend his title in Rio. He also won gold in the 2015 World Championships.

Michael Tinsley: Tinsley is hoping to get on the medal stand again after winning silver in the men's 400-meter hurdles at the London Games. The 32-year-old is a Jackson State alumnus.

David Verburg: Standing at only 5-foot-6, Verburg will run in the men's 400 and 4x400 relay. He's participating in his first Olympics but is familiar with winning gold, winning the 4x400-meter relay in the 2013 and 2015 World Championships.

Ameer Webb: Webb is participating in his first Olympics after qualifying for the 200.

Zach Ziemek: A 23-year-old decathlete, Ziemek finished 15th place at the 2015 World Championships. He attended college at Wisconsin.

Women's Team

Morolake Akinosun: An alumnus of Texas, Akinosun will participate in the women's 4x100-meter relay. She won gold in the relay at the 2015 Pan-American Games.

Nia Ali: Ali is set to participate in the women's 100-meter hurdles. She claimed gold in the 60-meter hurdles in the World Indoor Championships in 2014 and 2016.

Tianna Bartoletta: A gold medalist in the women's 4x100-meter relay at the 2012 London Games, Bartoletta will participate in the 100, 4x100 relay and long jump. After winning gold in the long jump at the 2015 World Championships, it's possible she will win multiple medals.

Tori Bowie: Bowie is in her first Olympics at age 25, participating in the 100, 4x100 relay and 200. She won bronze in the 100 at the 2015 World Championships.

Michelle Carter: The 30-year-old Carter has a shot to medal in the women's shot put after claiming gold in the 2016 World Indoor Championships. This will be her third Olympics after finishing 15th in 2008 and fifth in 2012. Her father is former NFL star and Olympian Michael Carter.

Kristi Castlin: The 28-year-old Castlin qualified for the women's 100-meter hurdles. This is her first Olympics.

Vashti Cunningham: The daughter of former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, Vashti qualified for the women's high jump in her first Olympics at age 18. She's the youngest person to ever win gold at the World Indoor Championships and is coached by her father. Equaling her World Indoor success could make her one of the best stories of the Olympics.

Janay DeLoach Soukup: DeLoach Soukup is hoping to get back on the medal stand after winning bronze in the women's long jump in London. She qualified for Rio after finishing third in the long jump in the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Taylor Ellis-Watson: Ellis-Watson is a redshirt senior at Arkansas and participant in the women's 4x400-meter relay.

Christina Epps: Epps is participating in her first Olympics at age 25 in the triple jump. She claimed 10th place in the 2016 World Indoor Championships.

Allyson Felix: Felix is participating in her fourth Olympics and has six medals to her name, including four gold. At age 30, she will run in the 400 and 4x400 relay, where she's claimed consecutive gold medals with the U.S. team.

Phyllis Francis: Like teammate Allyson Felix, Francis will run in the women's 400 and 4x400 relay. Rio is her first Olympics, and she won silver in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2015 World Championships.

English Gardner: Gardner will run in the women's 100 and 4x100 relay. The 24-year-old ran the seventh fastest 100 time in history at the U.S. Olympic Trials and certainly could find herself on the medal stand if she repeats.

Andrea Geubelle: Geubelle qualified for the women's triple jump, her first participation in the Olympics. She also finished third in the U.S. Indoor Championships earlier this year.

Natasha Hastings: Hastings won gold in the women's 4x400-meter relay in the 2008 games. She returns in the Olympics this year to run in the 400 and 4x400 relay.

Felisha Johnson: An accomplished women's shot putter while at Indiana State, Johnson is participating in her first Olympics.

Chaunte Lowe: Rio is Lowe's fourth Olympics participating in the women's high jump. She finished sixth place in both 2008 and 2012, and will try to improve at age 32.

Francena McCorory: McCorory will participate in the women's 4x400-meter relay after winning gold in the event in London.

Sydney McLaughlin: McLaughlin qualified for the Rio Games despite just turning 17 on August 7. She will run in the 400-meter hurdles after winning the 2015 World Youth Championships.

Inika McPherson: McPherson qualified for her first Olympics at age 29 and will participate in the high jump.

Heather Miller-Koch: Miller-Koch is participating in the women's heptathlon at age 29 and won second place at the event at the 2015 Pan Am Games. She's also a part-time operating room nurse.

Sandi Morris: Morris qualified for her first Olympics in the pole vault and won silver at the World Indoor Championships earlier this year.

Dalilah Muhammad: Muhammad is participating in her first Olympics and set to compete in the 400-meter hurdles. She won the silver medal at the 2013 World Championships in the event.

Barbara Nwaba: The 2016 women's American Pentathlon Champion, Nwaba is competing in the heptathlon at the Olympics for the first time.

Courtney Okolo: Okolo is going for gold in her first Olympics in the 4x400-meter relay. She finished first in the 2016 World Indoor Championships in the same event.

Keturah Orji: At just age 20, Orji will compete in the women's triple jump in Rio. She finished fourth place in the 2016 World Indoor Championships, showing that she has a realistic shot to medal in Rio.

Jenna Prandini: The 23-year-old Prandini qualified to run in the women's 4x100 relay and 200 in her first Olympics. She won the silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay at the 2015 World Championships.

Brittney Reese: Reese returns to defend her gold in the long jump after winning in London. She's favored in the event after winning the 2016 World Indoor Championships. Nicknamed "Da Beast," Reese is participating in her third Olympics at age 29.

Brianna Rollins: Rollins is competing in her first Olympics after qualifying for the 100-meter hurdles. She won the silver medal at the 2016 World Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles.

Raven Saunders: Saunders will compete in the shot put at age 20 and owns the shot put outdoor championship record. She finished first place in the 2015 Pan Am Junior Championships.

Ashley Spencer: The 23-year-old Spencer is participating in her first Olympics, running in the 400-meter hurdles. She won gold in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and silver in the 400.

Deajah Stevens: Stevens will run in the women's 200 after finishing second place in the U.S. Olympic Trials at age 21.

Jenn Suhr: A veteran pole vaulter, Suhr is participating in her third Olympics at age 34. She won the silver medal in 2008 and the gold medal in 2012. The defending World Indoor Champion, she's a strong contender to win gold again.

Ariana Washington: Washington will run in the women's 4x100-meter relay and only turns 20 in late August. She won gold in the 2014 4x100-meter relay at the World Junior Championships.

Lexi Weeks: Weeks is participating in her first Olympics at age 19 after qualifying for the pole vault. She attends the University of Arkansas.

Kendell Williams: The 21-year-old Williams will participate in the women's heptathlon. She finished sixth place in the 2016 World Indoor Championships.

Can you name the Top 25 Olympic medal winners by country?

This accounts for both medals won at Summer and Winter games. Countries that no longer exist are included. 

SCORE:
0/25
TIME:
7:00
2,802
United States of America
1,204
Soviet Union
873
Great Britain
824
Germany
823
France
691
Italy
638
Sweden
596
China
557
Russia
519
East Germany
509
Australia
497
Hungary
484
Japan
481
Norway
471
Canada
464
Finland
395
Netherlands
330
Switzerland
317
South Korea
307
Romania
305
Austria
302
Poland
243
West Germany
223
Bulgaria
219
Cuba

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