2012 Olympics Preview: Guide To Southern California Athletes Competing In The Summer Games

The 2012 Olympics are nearly upon us. The XXX Olympiad will kick off in London beginning on July 27 and will feature two solid weeks of cheering on your fellow countrymen in the highest-intensity feats of athletic prowess.

The Los Angeles area will be out in full force, as over 70 Olympic athletes will be representing Southern California, either via permanent residence or through connection to a local school. While the vast majority of these athletes will not be returning with an all-important medal, it is still important to know where your rooting interests lie.

Below is a complete guide to all of the Los Angeles area athletes who will be duking it out in London over the next few weeks in a search for glory and of course for U.S. bragging rights.

Seth Kelsey, Santa Monica: Fencing - Epee
Amy Hastings, Long Beach: Track & Field - 10000m
Russell Holmes, Anaheim: Volleyball
Amber Neben, Irvine: Cycling - Road
Alex Morgan, San Dimas: Soccer
Anthony Ervin, Valencia: Swimming - 50 Free
Jessica Hardy, Long Beach: Swimming - 50 Free, 100 Free, 400 Free Relay
John Mann, Beverly Hills: Water Polo
Sharon Day, Costa Mesa: Track & Field - Heptathlon
Dee Dee Trotter, Twenty Nine Palms: Track & Field - 400m
Chaunte Lowe, Riverside: Track & Field - High Jump
Esther Lofgren, Long Beach: Rowing
Jake Varner, Bakersfield: Wrestling
Misty May-Treanor, Long Beach State: Beach Volleyball
Tayyiba Haneef-Park, Long Beach State: Volleyball
Paul Lotman, Long Beach State: Volleyball
Sam Mikulak, Newport Coast: Gymnastics
Tyler Clary, Redlands: Swimming - 200 Fly, 200 Back
Sarah Robles, San Jacinto: Weightlifting
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: Basketball
Sean Rosenthal, Torrance: Beach Volleyball
Joseph Diaz, Jr., South El Monte: Boxing - bantamweight
Sarah Hammer, Redondo Beach: Cycling - Track
Tiana Coudray, Ojai: Equestrian - Eventing
Jan Ebeling, Moorpark: Equestrian - Dressage
McKayla Maroney, Long Beach: Gymnastics
Kyla Ross, Aliso Viejo: Gymnastics
Kim Rhode, Whittier: Shooting
Sandra Uptagrafft, Los Angeles: Shooting
Missy Franklin, Pasadena: Swimming - 100 Free, 100 Back, 200 Back, 200 Free, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay
Chloe Sutton, Vandenberg AFB: Swimming - 400 Free
Erica Wu, Arcadia: Table Tennis
Serena Williams, Compton: Tennis
Venus Williams, Compton: Tennis
Carmelita Jeter, Los Angeles: Track & Field - 100m, 200m
Allyson Felix, Los Angeles: Track & Field - 100m, 200m
Jose Ramirez, Avenal: Boxing - lightweight
Amber Neben, Irvine: Cycling - Road
Dominic Breazeale, Avenal: Boxing - super heavyweight
Shannon Boxx, Fontana: Soccer
Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers: Basketball
Brittney Reese, Inglewood: Track & Field - Long Jump
Merrill Moses, Pepperdine: Water Polo
Lashinda Demus, Inglewood: Track & Field - 400m Hurdles
Alex Osborne, Los Angeles: Rowing
Bob Bryan, Camarillo: Tennis
Mike Bryan, Camarillo: Tennis
Ryan Hall, Big Bear Lake: Track & Field - Marathon
Tony Azevedo, Long Beach: Water Polo
Brenda Villa, Los Angeles: Water Polo
Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks: Basketball
Troy Dumais, Ventura: Diving - 3m springboard, 3m synchro
David Smith, UC Irvine: Volleyball
Brian Thornton, UC Irvine: Volleyball
Ryan Bailey, UC Irvine: Water Polo
Timothy Hutten, UC Irvine: Water Polo
Todd Rogers, UC Santa Barbara: Beach Volleyball
Jason Lezak, UC Santa Barbara: Swimming - 400 Free Relay
Rena Wang, UCLA: Badminton
Sydney Leroux, UCLA: Soccer
Jessica Cosby, UCLA: Track & Field - Hammer
Chay Lapin, UCLA: Water Polo
Adam Wright, UCLA: Water Polo
Courtney Mathewson, UCLA: Water Polo
Jen Kessy, USC: Beach Volleyball
April Ross, USC: Beach Volleyball
Amy Rodriguez, USC: Soccer
Bryshon Nellum, USC: Track & Field - 400m
Duane Solomon, USC: Track & Field - 800m
Ronell Mance, USC: Track & Field - Relay Pool
Shea Buckner, USC: Water Polo
Kami Craig, USC: Water Polo
Lauren Wenger, USC: Water Polo
Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers: Basketball
Brett Newlin, Mission Viejo: Rowing
Adrienne Martelli, Glendale: Rowing
Eric Uptagrafft, Los Angeles: Shooting

For complete coverage of the Summer Games in London, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated 2012 Olympics hub.