American Girls

When the 2012 Olympics begin in London next Friday, the United States will be represented by 530 athletes, and more than half of them, from 15-year-old swimmer Katie Ledecky to 54-year-old equestrian rider Karen O'Connor, will be women.

It's the first time the female-athlete-to-male-athlete ratio will be tilted in that direction — a nice 40th-birthday present to Title IX, you could say — and a testament to the badassery of American gals.

In honor of this milestone, let's take a look at some of the women you'll be hearing about in the coming weeks. While this list could not include even close to everyone worth getting to know, consider it a starting block. Here are 12(ish) women to watch in the 2012 Summer Games.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8180625/katie-baker-watch-year-summer-games