The U.S. Olympic Committee announced its 530-member team Tuesday, naming 31 competitors from Florida.
Most of the Florida athletes are competing in sailing, followed closely behind by athletics and tennis. Of the 31 athletes, five call Miami a hometown, according to the roster.
Famous faces from the Sunshine State include Olympian Ryan Lochte from Daytona Beach, and Sanya Richards-Ross from Fort Lauderdale. Lochte is a six-time medalist in swimming and is favored in the 200-meter freestyle. Richards-Ross is a track star and the wife of NFL star Aaron Ross, who will play for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the upcoming season.
Emil Milev from Tampa and Karen O’Connor of Ocala will make their fifth Olympic appearance.
“They are our nation’s greatest athletes and embody what it means to be American,” USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said about the entire U.S. Olympic Team. “I look forward to watching them compete and to representing our nation both on and off the field of play.”
For the first time in the nation’s history, more American females comprise the team than males. The 530 teammates will compete in 25 different sports, although 56 events will not have an American competitor, according to the roster.
The committee said 288 members of Team USA are returning Olympians, 206 of whom competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games when the U.S. finished first in the overall medal count.
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“Whether competing at their first Games or fifth, the athletes on this team have made countless sacrifices, dedicating themselves to the pursuit of their Olympic dreams and to being their best both on and off the field of play," said Teresa Edwards, the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team chef de mission. "During the Games, we will continue to support them in every way possible and look forward to witnessing greatness.”
The members of the 2012 Olympic team are a diverse group: The tallest and shortest members are separated by more than two feet, 24 years separate the youngest and oldest athletes, there are several sets of twins and siblings and there are also 54 dads and 13 moms on the team.
The athletes' sendoff is scheduled for July 11 between noon and 5 p.m. The roster is subject to change.
