9. Gabriel Mercedes (Dominican Republic, Taekwondo)
Yulis Gabriel Mercedes Reyes, or, more succinctly, Gabriel Mercedes, is one Dominican you do NOT want to mess with. He won the silver medal in the Beijing 2008 Olympics after tying with Mexico’s Guillermo Perez—his second place finish a result solely of the judge’s decision. The Monte Plata, DR, native is returning to meet his rival in London and bring home the gold in 2012.