Both the men's and women's U.S. volleyball teams are among the world's best, but the women's team, starring Salt Lake City's Tom, is given the likeliest shot at a podium finish, possibly gold. It is hard to name something in women's volleyball Tom, now 23, hasn't accomplished — other than an Olympic medal. She was national player-of-the-year at Highland High, where she was on two state-winning teams; national player-of-the-year at Stanford University, where she was on an NCAA-winning team; and as both a professional and national team player she has competed in virtually every major competition the sport has to offer. After shining on the U.S. team that finished fourth in the Sydney Games, then-Gov. Mike Leavitt declared Dec. 22, 2000, "Logan Tom Day." If she wins gold, she'll probably get a week.

Millar is part of a U.S. men's volleyball team that will try to break a cold spell of not reaching the medal round since winning bronze in Barcelona in 1992. At BYU, where another national men's volleyball championship was added this past season, they'll not soon forget the 1999 season when middle-blocker Millar led the Cougars to a 30-1 record and their first national volleyball championship.

Young's career at BYU didn't end in that kind of glory. After his senior season in 2000, the school dropped men's gymnastics. But the son of former BYU gymnastics coach (and 1976 Olympian) Wayne Young persevered and has improved steadily since ending his college career with a second-place finish in the NCAA all-around. Known as a team player and consistent gymnast, Young isn't considered an individual threat to medal but is an integral part of a deep men's team projected to get a team medal for the United States for the first time since 1984.

A number of athletes with Utah ties, while far from being favored in their specialties, at least have "shock the world" potential. Leading this group is hammer thrower Parker, a nine-time all-American at Utah State who, as a lieutenant in the United States Air Force, is on permanent assignment to the World Class Elite Athlete Program, which means he's spent the last few years throwing the hammer for his country. Ranked No. 1 in the United States and 15th in the world, Parker's personal best throw is some 12 feet behind the world leaders — a hefty distance, but, as Bob Beamon might say, not out of reach.