Andrei Mikhnevich

Aiming to compete in his fourth Olympics as a shot-putter, Mikhnevich has finished better each time he's qualified for the Games. After debuting in global championships in 1999, Mikhnevich finished ninth at the 2000 Sydney Games before his career - and reputation - took a big hit. He was given a two-year ban for doping in 2001, but came back strong to win gold in the 2003 world championships. Mikhnevich finished fifth at the 2004 Athens Games, then earned a silver at the 2006 world indoors and a bronze at the 2007 world championships. His third time in the Olympics was his best performance on that stage, as he took bronze in Beijing. He wasn't the only Mikhnevich to medal in China as wife Natallia won silver on the women's side in the same event. Thought by some to have peaked at that point, Mikhnevich has continued to compete at a high level recently. He again medaled in the 2010 world indoors, 2010 European championships and 2011 worlds, and set personal bests in both indoor (21.81M) and outdoor (22.09M) events in 2010. Mikhnevich also has a different throwing style than most international shot-putters, opting to use the linear glide technique rather than the more popular rotational spin.