Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Ice Dancing
United States
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. That's been a frustration for American ice dancers at the world championships and the Olympics. No U.S. couple has ever won either title. Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto came close, earning silver medals in both, but Davis, 23, and White, 22, just bested them at the U.S. championships, earning their second national title. Both teams will compete in Vancouver. When paired with White as a youngster, Davis was so shy that she couldn't look her partner in the eyes, so their coach threatened to place a sticker on White's forehead to give her something to gaze at. Now well past that awkwardness, the pair compete with an intricate series of passionate dances and are looking to glide into their — and America's — first gold in the Olympics.