AP/Getty ImagesWe are just a few days away from the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics in Rio!
We'll watch some of our former favorites—like Michael Phelps, Gabby Douglas and Tom Daley—as well as many newcomers—like Simone Biles—perform in the most important matches of their life, hopefully taking home the gold and making their countries proud.
Ahead of the opening ceremony—which will take place at the Maracanã Stadium on Friday, August 5—there's already been lots of buzz around many other athletes you've likely heard about. But in case you haven't, we're helping you out and breaking down the 13 Olympians who've been in the headlines ahead of the games.
Check out their stories below:
Usain Bolt: The Jamaican sprinter is known as the "fastest man who ever lived," but this will mark his final Olympics—an end of a chapter for anyone who has kept track of the star throughout his years.
He is the first athlete, male or female, to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in both the 100 and 200-meters. He shattered the world records in both events and helped Jamaica to golds in the 4×100-meter relay twice. Not to mention, he has taken the world championship in every 100 and 200-meter race that he has completed in since 2009. It's safe to say he's incredible, and we will miss watching him in the future.
Serena Williams: Not only is the tennis pro one of the most talked about athletes in general (much thanks to her amazing sense of style and taste in men—ahem, Drake), but she's also getting buzz ahead of the Olympics as she seeks to defend the gold in singles as well as the doubles with her sister, Venus.
Crystal Dunn: After being the last person cut from the U.S. Women's team ahead of the Fifa World Cup in 2015, she ended up watching them take the championship against Japan...from a bar.
Needless to say, Dunn is ready to take the field at the Olympics and kick some booty!
Ibtihaj Muhammad: The fencer is making headlines as she will become the first U.S. athlete to compete in the Olympics in a hijab (a headscarf worn by some Muslim women). She has also been very vocal about state of Islam and Islamophobia in the U.S.
Kevin Durant: The basketball player made headlines after leaving Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors last month. Now, without Steph Curry or LeBron James in the lineup, he is looked upon as a leader for the U.S. Men's Basketball team at the 2016 Olympics.
Dipa Karmakar: The 22-year-old from Agartala, India, is the first female gymnast from her country ever to qualify for the Olympics.
Robert Scheidt: With two gold, two silver and one bronze medal, the sailor is Brazil's most successful Olympian. However, the 41-year-old has already said that he will hang up his sails after competing on the waters of Guanabara Bay at the 2016 Olympics.
Oksana Chusovitina: The gymnast from Uzbekistan has qualified for her seventh Olympics. At 41-years-old, she will be the oldest Olympic female gymnast in history.
Allyson Felix: The 30-year-old sprinter is the world's best in the 200-meter. According to NBC, She is tied with Jackie Joyner-Kersee for the most Olympic track and field medals earned by a U.S. woman and three behind the most won by any woman in the sport. She could be making history this year!
Alex Morgan: The U.S. Women's soccer player is arguably the team's best forward. With one gold medal already in her possession, she's a leader on the team. Not to mention, her looks have garnered her a little extra attention, especially after she posed in a bikini for Sports Illustrated's 50th anniversary swimsuit issue last year.
Rafaela Silva: The Brazilian 2013 lightweight Judoka world champion lost in the London Olympics after being disqualified for violating a newly instituted ban (on moves that target an opponent's legs). Her disqualification didn't hit major headlines until a Twitter user slammed her with racist remarks, saying, "The place of a monkey is in a cage." She responded, "Go f--k yourself ... earn a spot in the Olympics and then we'll talk." The exchange escalated into a full-on Twitter war, for which Silver later apologized.
She went through a slump for a period of time following the mess and only came out of it after seeing a psychologist. Now she's ready for gold.
Katie Ledecky: The 18-year-old Olympic swimmer is the world record holder in the 400, 800, and 1500-meter freestyle as well as the first to sweep all the races in a major international competition. NBC calls her one of the "most dominant" athletes of the Olympic games as she swiftly approaches the "world's best" status in the 200-meter freestyle.
Kohei Uchimura: The gymnast from Japan has won six straight world all-around titles—twice as many as any other gymnast. He was the 2012 Olympic all-around champion and 2008 silver medalist and is widely considered the greatest male gymnast of all time.
In Rio, he is hoping to become the first man to repeat as all-around champion since his countryman Sawao Kato in 1972.
(E! and NBC are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)