LIU XIANG

AGE: 24
OCCUPATION: Olympic hurdler
NUMBER OF TIME COVERS: 0
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 0

PRO: As China's only "triple crown" athlete — meaning he's a concurrent world-record holder, world champion, and Olympic champion in the hurdles, Xiang is one of the faces of modern Chinese sports and a cultural ambassador to the rest of the world during the upcoming Olympics.

CON: A lot of pressure — personal and political — is riding on the lanky athlete's frame.