The lifelong dream of representing Team USA is as big for today's African American Olympic hopefuls as it was for Jesse Owens. With the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games less than 100 days away, athletic hopefuls going for the gold this year are looking toward creating legacies all their own.  Two of the brightest stars-Allyson Felix and Bryan Clay-are from metropolitan Los Angeles.          

Allyson Felix (Los Angeles, Ca.), a track and field sprinter, is competing in the 200-meter event.  She is as strong as she is quick, and can dead-lift 360 pounds.  At just 18, Felix finished as the silver medalist in the 200-meter race at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She has competed internationally and won several championships in Japan, Finland, and Greece.  Felix is coached by Bobby Kersee, husband and coach of famed Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Bryan Clay (Glendora, Ca.) excels in decathlon events such as the 100-meter race, 400-meter, 110 meter hurdles, and long jump,  in addition to throwing events.  He does it all.  Born in Texas, raised in Hawaii, and educated California, Bryan's background is as varied as his range of sports. 

Here are other African American Olympians:

Cullen Jones (New York, N.Y.) grew up in the Bronx with the hopes of being a professional runner. By 2006, he'd given up running to pursue swimming.  He currently holds six medals and is the first African-American to break a long-course world-record in swimming.

Reese Hoffa (Athens, Ga.), is a 285-pound shot-putter.  But what makes this athlete truly different is that he has no gall bladder.  Challenges are nothing new to Hoffa, though, who was orphaned at age three, then reconnected to his birth mother as an adult. 

Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas), named the "fastest 400-meter woman in U.S. history" became engaged to New York Giants cornerback (and Super Bowl champion) Aaron Ross in December 2007 in the middle of a New York Giants-Washington Redskins Sunday Night Football game. It is her first time competing in the Olympic Games.

Dwight Phillips (Snellville, Ga.), is returning to the Olympics.  The long jumper, who recovered from two badly broken legs at the age of 14, won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece.

Lauryn Williams (Miami, Fla.) won a silver medal in the 100-meter race in the 2004 Summer Olympics.  She splits her time between training and volunteering for the USA Track & Field's "Be A Champion" program. She is currently looking to establish her own charitable fund.

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will take place Aug. 8-24. The opening ceremony will be held on Aug. 8.   To get to know the athletes better, and to see who else is competing, visit www.NBCOlympics.com and http://en.beijing2008.cn.