Five U.S. Olympians favored to win multiple gold medals

With representation in just about every event and a history of garnering lots of hardware, it is anticipated that the USA will bring home quite a few medals from Rio de Janeiro in the upcoming Summer Olympic Games.

The odds are certainly in their favor. USA took home the most overall medals and the most gold medals — 46 golds out of a total 104 medals won, to be exact — in the previous Summer Olympics, which took place in London. Between individual and team competition, the expectation for more gold medals to come stateside is quite high.

Of course, some athletes are expected to bring home a couple extra shiny gold souvenirs. For some, that expectation stems from promising trials and world championships. For others, it is because of their track records in past Olympics.

Here are the top five representatives from Team USA who could bring home multiple gold medals in the Summer Games.

Simone Biles, Women’s Gymnastics

Being a first-time Olympian doesn’t seem to have an effect on the odds for the 19-year-old four-time national champion. While balance beam and floor are reportedly her strongest individual events, 4-foot-9 Biles is expected to be a driving force — along with returning Olympian Gabby Douglas — behind USA women’s gymnastics making multiple trips to the top of the medal podium.

Allyson Felix, Track and Field

Felix already has four gold medals and two silver medals under her belt, making her the most decorated female sprinter in U.S. history. What makes her participation in the 200-meter and 400-meter sprints in Rio even more impressive is that she is coming back from sustaining a right ankle injury in April. She told NBCOlympics.com about not letting an injury and slow recovery process get in the way of her dream of becoming the first woman to win a double:

“I set those goals a long time ago… I wanted to fight to be able to have that opportunity. I don’t know if I’ll ever have it again.”

LaShawn Merritt, Track and Field

After having to withdraw in the middle of qualifiers back in 2012 due to a hamstring injury, Merritt is looking to get back on the podium in his third consecutive trip to the Olympics. While he has plenty of international success, the sprinter has his sights set on getting another gold medal in the 400. He is also chasing history with the potential to win both the 400-meter and 200-meter races — something record-breaker Michael Johnson did in 1996.

Katie Ledecky, Swimming

She already has one gold medal to her name from the 2012 Summer Games and is building up a bit of pre-Games celebrity status, being featured on one of USA teammate Michael Phelps’ Facebook broadcasts. Now, the 19-year-old is “expected to walk away with a full collection of medals,” according to Swimming World Magazine. And understandably so, given that the young phenom holds the world record in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle, and is competing for golds in 200, 400 and 800 free. Phelps described Ledecky to Steve Keating of Reuters:

“Every time she gets in the water, it's like a world record, so she is improving so much and I think she is just trying to push that barrier…”

Michael Phelps, Swimming

Of course he is expected to bring home multiple gold medals. He has more medals than any other Olympian, ever. Now, with a retirement stint and couple years full of personal rough patches behind him, Phelps is expected to return to the podium and add to his haul of 22 medals — 18 of which are gold. Nothing but perfection is expected of his performances in the events he will compete in, both individual and team. The expectations are even higher still because Phelps swears that he really is retiring after these Summer Games, reportedly telling OregonLive.com: “This is it. No more.”