Lars Bender

Lars Bender is a German midfielder, playing for the Bundesliga team Bayer Leverkusen. He previously played for 1860 Munich, from 2006  to 2009.


He also plays for the German national team since 2011. He was selected to join the German Euro 2012 team. 


Lars has a twin brother, Sven, who plays for Dortmund.

Born: April 27, 1989 in Rosenheim, West Germany
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 68.5 kg






Career Highlights:

• Part of the team who won 2008 Euro U-19 Championships
• Won the Fritz-Walter trophy
• Signed a 3-year contract with Leverkusen in 2009
• Joined the senior German team in September 2011

Junior dos Santos

Junior dos Santos is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division. He is the current UFC heavyweight champion, and is regarded as the number one heavyweight fighter in the world. He recently defeated Frank Mir at UFC 146.


His nickname is Cigano, gypsy in Portugese.

Born: September 12, 1984 in Cacador, Brazil
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 108 kg
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Website: juniordossantos.com.br, Twitter






Career Highlights:

• Defeated Cain Velasquez on November 12, 2011 to win the UFC heavyweight championship
• Win-Loss record: 15-1
• 11 knockouts/TKOs, 2 submissions, 2 decisions
• His single loss was through submission, to Joaquim Ferreira

Rob Kearney

Robert Kearney is an Irish rugby union player, currently playing as a fullback and wing for Leinster FC. He also competes for Ireland in international competitions.

Kearney also played for the University College Dublin's rugby team, helping the team win the McCorry Cup in 2005. 

Born: March 26, 1986 in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 95 kg
Website: Twitter


Career Highlights:

• Played Gaelic football in his youth
• Played for Leinster FC since 2005, where he made his debut in Celtic League
• ERC Player of the Year, 2012
• represented Ireland in 2008 Six Nations Championship
• member of the Ireland team that won the 2009 Six Nations, Triple Crown and Grand Slam

Thomas Finchum

Thomas Finchum is an American diver, specializing in 10-meter platform and 10-meter synchronized events. With his diving partner, David Boudia, Finchum won gold in the 2007 Pan American Games.

Born: December 1, 1989 in Beech Grove, Indiana

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 68 kg

Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana

Website: Twitter

Career Highlights:

• Won silver (with Boudia) for 10-meter platform synchro at the 2009 World Championships
• Won bronze (with Boudia) for 10-meter platform synchro at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne
• placed fifth at the 2008 Olympics 10-m synchro event
• won gold (with Drew Livingstone) for 10-meter synchro at the 2011 US National Championships

Thiago Pereira

Thiago Pereira is a Brazilian swimmer, competing mostly in individual medley events. He is currently Brazil's record holder for most medals won in the Pan American Games, a total of 12 in two outings.

He has qualified for the 2012 London Olympics. 

Born: January 26, 1986 in Volta Redonda, Brazil

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 77 kg.

Website: www.thiagopereira.uol.com.br/home

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• Competed in the 2004 Olympics, placing fifth in the 200-m individual medley
• Competed in the 2008 Olympics, placing fourth in the 200-m individual medley
• Won six gold medals during the 2007 Pan American Games, breaking Mark Spitz's record of 5 golds
• Won his first medal (silver) at the 2003 Pan American Games 200-m IM event
• Won gold at the 2004 FINA Short Course World Championships 200-m IM event 

Two in a Row

Rafael Nadal again defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, 7-5, 6-3, for the second time in a row to win the 2012 Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The victory is Nadal's sixth title in Rome. He also avenged his loss to Djokovic in the final last year. The title in Foro Italico is also Nadal's 49th overall ATP titles, and his 35th on clay. He will also ascend to number 2 ranking, which he lost to Roger Federer last week.

Djokovic defeated Federer in the semifinals, while Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in straight sets to reach his 70th final. Nadal now holds a record 21 Masters titles.


The total prize money is € 2,427,975. 

Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka is a soccer player from Switzerland. Originally from Albania, he played as a midfielder for FC Basel in the Swiss Super League, from 2008 to 2012. He will join the Borussia Mönchengladbach squad of the Bundesliga in the 2012 season, following an 8.5 million euro transfer. 


Granit has a brother who is also a professional footballer, Taulant. Xhaka is nicknamed "the new (Bastian) Schweinsteiger. 

Born: September 27, 1992 

Height: 6'0" 

Weight: 165 lbs 

Career Highlights: 

• played for the Basel first team in 2010, debuting in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match, scoring a goal to help his team win
• played for the Swiss under-19 and under-21 teams 
• debuted for the Swiss senior national team in June 2011, playing against Englad 
• scored his first international goal in a match against Luxembourg, in November 2011

Romain Barras

Romain Barras is a French decathlete. He represented France in 2004 and 2008 Olympics but did not win any medals.


Barras won the combined events in 2010 European Championships in Barcelona. 

Born: August 1, 1980 in Calais, France
Height: 1.93 m
Weight: 87 kg
Website: www.romainbarras.fr


Career Highlights:

• Won first place in 2003 World Student Games
• Won first place in 2005 Mediterranean Games
• Personal best: 8298 points, set in 2007 TNT Fortuna Meeting

Adam Ashley-Cooper

Adam Ashley-Cooper is an Australian center/fullback for the New South Wales Waratahs. He previously played for the Brumbies, from 2005 to 2011. He is nicknamed "Mr. Fix It" for his versatility to play as a center, fullback and wing. 

He also plays for Australian in international rugby union competitions. As a member of the Australia Wallabies, he managed to score 5 tries in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, landing him in the Top 5 try-scorers in the tournament. 

Born: March 27, 1984 in Sydney, New South Wales 

Height: 5'11 1/2"

Weight: 98 kg

Website: Twitter

Career Highlights:

• Member of the Australia national team since 2005
• Played in 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups
• Debuted in Super Rugby league in 2005, playing for Brumbies 

Team USA on Vogue

Anne Leibowitz photographed some members of the United States team for the 2012 London Olympics. for Vogue magazine, including Ryan Lochte, Jonathan Horton, the Bryan brothers, Ashton Eaton and Dwayne Wade.

Ryan Lochte

Jonathan Horton

Mike and Bob Bryan

[source: burbujasdeseo.com]

Andre Myhrer

Andre Myhrer is a Swede alpine ski racer, specializing in slalom and technical events. He represented Sweden in the Winter Olympics, in 2006 and 2010, winning a bronze medal in slalom during the latter.


Myhrer competed in five world championships,  winning four times in slalom, and managing 14 podium finishes. His last victory is in 2012, in Austria.

Born: January 11, 1983 in Bergsjö, Sweden

Height: 6' 21/2"

Weight: 95 kg 
Residence: Monaco

Website: www.andremyhrer.com

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• Debuted in World Cup competition on January 2004, at age 21
• Finished fourth in slalom in 2004 Winter Olympics
• Won bronze in slalom in 2010 Winter Olympics
• Finished 11th in 2012 season standings

Randall Bal

Randall Bal is an American swimmer, specializing in backstroke. He competed in the World Championships, the Pan American Games and the Pan Pacific Championships, winning 5 golds, six silvers and 2 bronze medals. 

He set the world record for 50-m backstroke in 2008. Bal competed for Stanford University while in college. 

Born: November 14, 1980 in Sacramento, California 

Height: 6'4" 

Weight: 195 lbs 

Website: Facebook

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• won silver in 100-m backstroke at the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships
• won gold in 100-m backstrok and 400-m relay at the 2007 Pan American Games

Bryce Harper

Bryce Aron Max Harper is an American baseball player, currently playing as an outfielder for the Washington Nationals of the Major League Baseball. 

Harper is the number 1 pick of the 2010 MLB Draft, and he debuted in the major league baseball on April 28, 2012. He signed a 7-year, $18.9 million contract with the Washington Nationals. 

Born: October 16, 1992 
Height: 6'3" 
Weight: 225 lbs 

Career Highlights: 

• Golden Spikes Award, 2010 
• SWAC Player of the Year, 2010 
• Baseball America High School Player of the Year, 2009 
• hit his first MLB home run on May 14, 2012 in a game against San Diego Padres

Dane Swan

Dane Swan is a midfielder for the Collingwood Magpies of the Australian Football League. He once won the AFL Players Association Most Valuable Player award. He is a member of the Magpies since 2003.

Swan also plays for Australia in the International Rules football.

Born: February 24, 1985 in Melbourne, Australia
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 92 kg
Website: daneswan.com.au





Career Highlights:

• won Brownlow Medal, 2003
• AFL Premiership Player, 2011
• All Australian (AFL Team of the Year): 2009, 2010, 2011
• Anzac Day Medal, 2012
• Copeland Trophy: 2008, 2009, 2010