For the first time since 2004, the face of Team USA at the Olympics will not be Michael Phelps, who retired from swimming in 2016.
Why it matters: With the most decorated Olympian of all time no longer anchoring coverage and driving attention, a new crop of American stars will emerge in Tokyo.
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Usain Bolt — the Jamaican track star who drew global interest during the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games — is also retired now, leaving a void nearly the size of Phelps.
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Serena Williams (skipped) and Sha’Carri Richardson (suspended) were expected to be two of the most-watched Americans in Tokyo, so their absences open the door even wider for other names to grab the spotlight.
Who to watch: If anyone has already replaced Phelps as the face of Team USA, it’s gymnastics G.O.A.T. Simone Biles. Three other members of Team USA who could see their fame skyrocket in Tokyo:
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Katie Ledecky, swimming: The defending gold medalist in the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle is even better in the 1,500, which makes its Olympics debut on the women’s side.
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Noah Lyles, track and field: The Alexandria, Virginia native is the favorite to win gold in the 200 meters after recording the world’s fastest time this season (19.74 seconds).
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Caeleb Dressel, swimming: The 24-year-old is favored in each of his three individual events. Add in four relays and he’s got a shot at seven gold medals, which would tie Mark Spitz for second-most in a single Olympics (behind Phelps’ eight).
What they’re saying: NBC Olympics executive producer and president Molly Solomon previewed the network’s coverage plans in a briefing with the press. The first week will be an introduction of sorts, focusing heavily on the names listed above, plus a few more stars poised to break out.
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NBC then plans to broadcast an unprecedented 7,000 hours of coverage, including more than 5,500 hours of online streaming.
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Gone are the days when Olympic superstardom required a prime-time broadcast. Now, legends can be born in virtually any event, and social media will play a bigger role than ever in deciding who and what goes viral.
The bottom line: There may never be another Michael Phelps, who starred in Athens, Beijing, London and Rio de Janiero. But there will be another face of Team USA — and that athlete, or athletes, will take up that mantle over the next two weeks in Tokyo.
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