Photos: American Olympic Hopefuls

The United States can send at most three women and three men to the Olympics, but even that isn’t guaranteed. Nevertheless, here’s a list of some of the American men and women who have a shot at London in 2012. Photo: Triathlon.org

Native Australian, 2004 Athens Olympian and one-time world No. 1 Greg Bennett is racing as an American for the first time in his career this year. At 39, he’s one of the oldest racers on the ITU circuit, but he still is capable of a top 9 finish at the qualifying race in London. Photo: Triathlon.org

Chrabot was the best performing American on the ITU circuit last year, finishing the year ranked 12th—39 spots better than he landed in 2009. Chrabot is known as someone who can handle anything that is thrown at him—hail, blistering temperatures, wind, potholes—and is one of the strongest cyclists on the circuit. Photo: Triathlon.org

If there is a discretionary spot available after the 2012 qualification event, Collins is one of the top candidates for selection if USA Triathlon chooses to take a team approach to London 2012. Photo: Triathlon.org

Although Dye is currently ranked 279th in the world and hasn’t done any ITU races this year other than the 2011 Clermont ITU Sprint Triathlon Pan American Cup in Clermont, Fla., he is an excellent swim-biker and his name often comes up in conversations about potential domestiques. But he would need to get his world ranking as high as 120 in order to be eligible for selection. Photo: Kris Mendoza

A political refugee who moved from Cuba to the United States when he was a teenager, Huerta was the surprise top American at the Dextro Energy World Championship Series race in Kitzbühel, Austria, in June, when he placed 24th. He finished 13th at the 2010 Hamburg ITU World Championship Series race in what was only his second WCS start. Look for Huerta to be a dark horse in this qualification process. Photo: Triathlon.org

Kemper is one of only a few men still racing today who has a chance to participate in every Olympic triathlon event. He was 17th at the Sydney Olympics, 9th at Athens and 7th in Beijing—a spot he achieved despite resorting to cortisone injections for a sports hernia. Kemper wants a medal in London, and he’s confident that he is capable of achieving this. Photo: Triathlon.org

Shoemaker’s blistering run speed has some pegging him as America’s best hope for a medal at the Olympics, which means that if Shoemaker doesn’t qualify automatically in London or at the 2012 qualification race, he’ll likely qualify with a discretionary spot. With 43rd-place in Sydney and 20th in Madrid, Shoemaker hasn’t had the most auspicious start to the season, but early results mean nothing in a year where everyone is gunning for August 7th. Photo: Delly Carr/Triathlon.org

The fourth-place finisher at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Bennett has placed in the top 10 in every World Championship Series event she has participated in this year. A fantastic swimmer and runner, Bennett will likely qualify automatically in either London or the 2012 qualification event, and she is a contender for a medal at the Olympics. Photo: Triathlon.org/Delly Carr

Injured for most of last year with a fractured sacrum, Groff became the first American woman in history to get on the podium at a World Championship Series event when she finished third in Kitzbühel in June. Groff is a super swimmer who has finally gotten her run close to where it needs to be. She is likely to only get faster. Look for her to automatically qualify for the team. Photo: Triathlon.org/Delly Carr

Haskins, along with Laura Bennett and Sarah Groff, is a likely automatic qualifier for the Games in London. One of the best swim-bikers in the sport, Haskins has finally recovered from a nerve injury that has hampered her run training since 2007, indicating that there could be big things in store for her this season and next. She was the silver medalist at the 2008 ITU short-course world championships in Vancouver, British Columbia, and placed 11th at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She won the first World Cup of her career in May. Photo: Delly Carr

Extremely new to triathlon, Jorgensen is the dark horse in this qualification process. A fantastic runner and good swimmer, if the race in London or the 2012 qualification race falls her way with a slow bike, she could find herself in the top 9 and automatically qualify. If she significantly improves her cycling before next year’s qualification race, she could be a real threat. Photo: Paul Phillips

A consistent racer on the ITU circuit, Petersen’s superior bike and solid run could put her where she needs to be to qualify for the team. But if Petersen can improve her swim enough to get into the first bike pack, she has a real shot at upsetting one of the big three—Bennett, Haskins and Groff—for a spot on the team. Photo: Triathlon.org