Asbel Kiprop

Kiprop already has an Olympic gold medal, but he'll be looking to enjoy a new experience by crossing the finish line first and standing atop the podium in London. He finished second in the 1,500 meters at the Beijing Games, but was later given the gold after Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain was stripped of the title for doping. Kiprop, though, is undoubtedly a legitimate champion, having won the world title in the 1,500 in 2011 by edging out countryman and rival Silas Kiplagat. That victory helped erase the sting of a disappointing fourth-place finish at the 2009 worlds, and it backed up a gold-medal performance at the competitive African championships in 2010. Kiprop was just 18 when he announced his arrival on the international scene with a gold medal at the 2007 All-Africa Games, and he'll still be only 23 during the Olympics this summer. That should give the long, lean middle-distance star - who has said his first name means "determined" - a good chance to become the first runner to win repeat Olympic gold in the 1,500 since Great Britain's Sebastian Coe in 1980 and '84.