The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) joins the global Olympic Movement in celebrating the two-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games on Tuesday, July 27. In conjunction with the London Organizing Committee's celebration activities, the USOC is sharing thoughts from some of its top 2012 Olympic hopefuls, organizing athlete appearances, distributing Olympic sport storylines and Games fun facts, launching an online feature series and commemorative video on a www.TeamUSA.org, and opening the accreditation process to U.S. media.

"It's an exciting thought that the 2012 London Olympic Games are only two years away," said Allyson Felix (Los Angeles, CA), a three-time World champion and two-time Olympic Silver medalist in the 200 meters. "Making the U.S. National Team is an extremely challenging task, and I am training hard to make my third Olympic team. It's such an honor to represent my country and compete alongside the world's greatest athletes."

"The Olympic Games are only two years away, and I am already preparing for the chance to represent the USA in London," said Tyson Gay (Lexington, KY), the 2009 World Outdoor 100m Silver medalist and member of the 2007 World Champion 4x100 men's relay team. "I've got lots of work ahead of me, but the chance to win a medal at the Olympics motivates me every day."

"The 2012 Olympic Games are two years away, but we have already started the journey. I've been blessed to represent my country and win medals in three Olympic Games, but the desire is still burning strong for another," said Steven Lopez (Sugar Land, TX), a three-time Olympic medalist and a five-time world champion. "I am preparing for an event in November of this year which will select the team to represent the U.S. at the World Olympic Qualifier next summer in Baku, Azerbaijan. My family and I were blessed in 2008 to be the first family to have three medalists at the same Olympic Games. My brother Jean has already been named coach of the 2012 team so it is up to myself, Mark and Diana to do our part to have a family reunion in London and hopefully bring home some gold."

"The London Games are approaching quickly, and as they get closer and closer, I stay in the game by taking it one day at a time," said 2009 World All-Around gymnastics champion Bridget Sloan (Pittsboro, IN), a member of the 2008 Olympic Silver-medal winning team. "Since I've already competed in the Olympic venue at the 2009 World Championships and topped the podium there, I know that if I did it once, I can do it again. Marvin (Sharp) and I have a set plan for my training that will help me stay healthy and motivated. We want to make sure I am ready in two years, so I just keep reminding myself that I can't reach tomorrow without going through today."

Team USA Olympians will attend a celebration commemorating the two-year countdown on Monday, July 26, in New York City. The event, hosted by the British Consulate-General, will take place aboard the HMS Albion, a ship of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which will dock on Manhattan's Pier 86 for the evening. Athletes attending include 1964 Olympic diving champion Lesley Bush (Hopewell, NJ), 2008 Olympic rower Giuseppe Lanzone, and 2008 fencing Silver medalist Tim Morehouse (New York, NY), among others.

Will three-time Olympian Troy Dumais (Ventura, Calif.) become the first U.S. male diver to compete in four Olympic Games? Dumais, now 30, remains one of the top male divers in the United States. A 30-time national champion (second only to Greg Louganis), Dumais won the Silver medal on three-meter at the 2009 World Championships.

2008 Olympic gymnastics Team Silver medalist Alicia Sacramone (Winchester, MA) is planning a comeback at a national event on July 24 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin (Parker, TX) is considering a comeback, as is 2008 Olympic balance beam champion Shawn Johnson (West Des Moines, IA). And their 2008 Olympic teammate Bridget Sloan is the reigning World All-Around champion, making for compelling storylines in ladies gymnastics.

Shooter Kim Rhode is aiming to win her fifth consecutive Olympic medal in five Olympic Games—no other U.S. Olympian from an individual sport has accomplished this feat. Rhode most recently won a Silver medal in women's skeet in 2008 in Beijing. If successful, she would tie just eight other females who've accomplished the same feat, including USA Basketball standout Teresa Edwards who won five medals in five games during her career. Fencer Aladár Gerevich of Hungary, equestrian's Hans Günter Winkler of Federal Republic of Germany, and canoe/kayak's Birgit Schmidt-Fischer of German Democratic Republic/Germany top the list with six medals in six Games.

Triathlete Jarrod Shoemaker (Maynard, MA) was an Olympian in 2008, but the 2012 Games could become more of a family affair. Shoemaker's sister, Jenna Shoemaker (Los Angeles, CA), and wife, Alicia Kaye (Maynard, MA), are both internationally ranked triathletes. Jarrod's younger brother, Jake Shoemaker, is a standout runner at Dartmouth (Jarrod's alma mater) and a top junior triathlete. Shoemaker's mother, Mae Shoemaker, has completed 19 consecutive Boston Marathons.

With the Opening Ceremony on July 27, 2012, London will become the first city to stage the Olympic Games three times (1908, 1948 and 2012). Approximately 18,500 athletes from 205 nations are expected to participate in 26 sports, including the newest Olympic disciplines of women's boxing and mixed doubles in tennis. For more facts about these Games, please visit www.TeamUSA.org

With the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games just two years away, many of the stars from the 2008 Games in Beijing are training and preparing hard with their eyes set on the podium in London. On July 27, TeamUSA.org will launch a video that features some of the U.S. stars who are hoping to make their Olympic dreams come true in London.

In addition to the feature video, TeamUSA.org will also launch the "12 in '12" series, with articles featuring 12 athletes or teams from Athens and Beijing who are looking to either defend or amend their Olympic performances. The series previews athletes from different sports who have the potential to turn heads in London. TeamUSA.org breaks down what these athletes have been doing since Beijing and how they are preparing for the upcoming London Games. Featured athletes include David Boudia (Noblesville, IN), diving; Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, CA), swimming; Phil Dalhausser (Ormond Beach, CA)and Todd Rogers (Santa Barbara, CA), beach volleyball; Matt Emmons (Brown Mills, NJ), shooting; Jonathan Horton (Houston, TX), gymnastics; Lolo Jones (Baton Rouge, LA), track and field; Steven Lopez (Sugar Land, TX),taekwondo; Anna Tunnicliffe (Fort Lauderdale, FL), sailing; Brenda Villa (Commerce, CA), water polo; Abby Wambach (Rochester, NY), soccer; Mariel Zagunis (Beaverton, OR), fencing; and members of the U.S. Women's Basketball Team.

A two-year out Countdown Clock will launch on July 27 on the homepages of TeamUSA.org and USParalympics.org alerting fans on a continual basis to the remaining days, hours and minutes until the start of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Also in celebration of the two-year out milestone, TeamUSA.org will post its first official Facebook application at www.facebook.com/usolympicteam, which will allow fans to take a fun personality quiz called, "What Olympic Sport are You?"

The London Organizing Committee is commemorating the two-year countdown during Open Weekend, an annual UK-wide celebration counting down to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Open Weekend 2010 takes place July 23-25 as London gets ready to celebrate two years to go to the 2012 London Games. It will include hundreds of events across the UK from sport to art, dance to exhibitions. Each event features a special challenge such as "pedal power to power a cinema" in Ely, jam with the London Symphony Orchestra in London, and join a night moth hunt in the Ulverston. More than 800 challenges have been set. For more information, visit www.london2012.com.

In late September, the USOC, in combination with the National Governing Bodies, will compile a London 2012 Outlook with previews, storylines, Olympic qualification procedures and athlete biographies for all 28 Olympic sports.

For more information, please contact the USOC Communications Division at (719) 866-4529 or visit www.teamusa.org.