Olympic Favorites

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With the Olympics having officially kicked off on Friday, I've been consumed by the many different sports over the last few days. The U.S. Olympic Trials gave me an idea of who I would root for, and the Parade of Nations made me aware of all the underdogs.

So I've a new group of favorites:

1. Missy Franklin

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This smiley 17-year-old swimmer is a ham. She does the worm, and I'm convinced she'll do it if asked. She's the best American female swimmer this year, and you'll be absolutely charmed by her  in the "Call Me Maybe" video made by the swim team.

2. Ryan Lochte

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Lochte is a 27-year-old swimmer, who attended the University of Florida. As a Gator, I am easily on Team Lochte. His Cuban mother pushed him to swim, and this year he is the best the men's team has to offer.

3. Jordyn Wieber and Gabby Douglas

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There's a lot of pressure on the two teenage gymnasts, so hopefully they'll place at the top and maybe even take home a team medal.

4. The Nicaraguan Team

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There are six members on the Nicaraguan team, so the odds aren't exactly in their favor. The country, where my mother was born, has not earned a medal before. 

5. Ariel Hsing

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I found out about Hsing while watching an episode of the Nickelodeon show, "Figure It Out." Her secret was that she played table tennis on the U.S. team, so I was pretty interested in her and how she happened to get on the show. And she showed the celebrity panelists why she was on the team. 

6. The Gators

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The majority of the Gators come from swimming and track, and not all are representing the United States. 

7. Megan Rapinoe

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Rapinoe, 27, came out publicly, and I'm all for people being themselves. The soccer player also says her favorite fashion item is Alexander Wang T-Shirts. We're fans, too.

8. Usain Bolt

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Because his name is kind of perfect.