Sport-by-sport capsules: Maryland's Olympians in London

Breakdown on every athlete with ties to the state

Basketball

Carmelo Anthony

Age: 28

From: Baltimore

Schedule: Group A: vs. France, July 29; vs. Tunisia, July 31; vs. Nigeria, Aug. 2; vs. Lithuania, Aug. 4; vs. Argentina, Aug. 6

Olympic experience: This is Anthony's third Olympics appearance. He was a bench player on the U.S. team that won bronze in 2004, and played a key role on the gold-medal winning squad in 2008.

What to expect: Anthony should earn significant minutes in London. He'll likely score in bunches, and could play a critical role in the U.S.'s pursuit of a second-straight Olympic gold medal.

Quotable: "We're trying to make a statement with the game we have. What they did back in '92 will never be duplicated. We're just trying to start our own thing and hopefully continue our legacy."

Kevin Durant

Age: 23

From: Seat Pleasant

Schedule: Group A: vs. France, July 29; vs. Tunisia, July 31; vs. Nigeria, Aug. 2; vs. Lithuania, Aug. 4; vs. Argentina, Aug. 6

Olympic experience: After narrowly missing the cut for the 2008 Olympics, Durant emerged as the face of Team USA at the 2010 FIBA world championships. He averaged 22.8 points and 6.1 rebounds en route to the tournament's Most Valuable Player honors.

What to expect: Durant figures to play a key role on a U.S. team widely considered the favorite to win gold in London.

Quotable: "We've just got to fight through it. We've got to stick with it and we'll be fine."

Angel McCoughtry

Age: 25

From: Baltimore

Schedule: Group A: vs. Croatia, July 28; vs. Angola, July 30; vs. Turkey, Aug. 1; vs. Czech Republic, Aug. 3; vs. China, Aug. 5

Olympic experience: McCoughtry will make her Olympics debut in London. She has been involved with the U.S. national team since college, and she won a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

What to expect: McCoughtry will likely earn significant minutes off the bench for the U.S. in London. She'll add depth to a loaded roster that is the heavy favorite to win gold.

Quotable: "There's no pressure. We just have to take it game by game. We have to be patient. We've got the talent to win, and we'll take it a game at a time."

Cycling

Georgia Gould

Age: 32

From: Baltimore

Schedule: Women's cross-country: final, Aug. 11

Olympic experience: This is Gould's second appearance in the Olympics. She finished eighth in Beijing.

What to expect: Gould, a tall, athletic rider, should benefit from the London course's series of shorter climbs. She has a solid chance to medal.

Quotable: "The day that I arrived at the Olympic Village [in 2008], my first thought was just I'm so glad that I did not know how cool this is. Because I would've been way more concerned about qualifying."

Bobby Lea

Age: 29

From: Easton

Schedule: Men's sprint: qualification, Aug. 4; 1/16 final, Aug. 4; 1/16 final repechages

Olympic experience: This will be Lea's second appearance in the Olympics. He finished 16th in Beijing.

What to expect: If Lea can put together a solid ride, he should be able to finish in the top 10 in London. An Olympic medal is not out of the question.

Quotable: "I wasn't entirely satisfied with how the racing went [in Beijing]," Lea told The Philadelphia Enquirer. "So I'm really thrilled to have a chance to go to London and do it right."

Field hockey

Katie O'Donnell

Age: 23

From: Blue Bell, Pa.; Maryland graduate

Schedule: Group B: vs. Germany, July 29; vs. Argentina, July 31; vs. Australia, Aug. 2; vs. New Zealand, Aug. 4; vs. South Africa, Aug. 6

Olympic experience: O'Donnell is making her Olympic debut in London. She has started at center forward on the national team since 2009 and has already earned 112 international caps.

What to expect: O'Donnell has emerged as the face of a U.S. field hockey team that figures to have its best chance of medalling since claiming bronze in Los Angeles in 1984. The U.S. won the Pan American Games last October, and should benefit from a field that features no clear favorite.

Quotable: "To me, unity is such a big piece. And right now, we're working towards having a lot of unity. I think that'll take us very far into the Olympic games, and we have a very good possibility of medalling."

Keli Smith Puzo

Age: 33

From: Selinsgrove, Pa.; Maryland graduate

Schedule: Group B: vs. Germany, July 29; vs. Argentina, July 31; vs. Australia, Aug. 2; vs. New Zealand, Aug. 4; vs. South Africa, Aug. 6

Olympic experience: This is Smith Puzo's second Olympic appearance. She was a part of a U.S. team that finished last among the eight squads that competed in Beijing in 2008.

What to expect: Smith Puzo should start on the forward line alongside O'Donnell in London. She should have a chance at medalling in what will likely be her last Olympics.

Quotable: "I think that our biggest goal going into 2008 was first to qualify. And four years later in 2012, we expected to qualify. So the goal wasn't to qualify, the expectation was to qualify. Now our expectation is to hit the podium."

Kayaking

Scott Parsons

Age: 33

From: Bethesda