Top Los Angeles Olympians

Brenda Villa, the pride of Commerce and the U.S. captain, tries to shoot past Lefke Van Belkum of the Netherlands during the women’s water polo final. The Dutch scored in the final minute to pull out a 9-8 victory.  (Rungroj Yongrit / EPA)

Henry Cejudo, who was born in Los Angeles to illegal immigrants from Mexico and moved throughout the western U.S. as he grew up, celebrates winning a gold medal after defeating Japan’s Tomohiro Matsunaga in the men’s 55-kilogram freestyle final.  (Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP/Getty Images)

Kim Rhode, who was born in Whittier and grew up in El Monte, was forced to learn a new Olympic event after dominating women’s double trap (gold in 1996 at age 17, gold in 2004 and bronze in 2000). She took silver in women’s skeet shooting in Beijing.  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

Tony Azevedo of Long Beach, the U.S. captain and leading scorer, is challenged by Vladimir Vujasinovic of Serbia in a men’s water polo semifinal. The U.S. plays Hungary for the gold medal in one of the final gold-medal games of the Beijing Olympics.  (Ahmad Yusni / EPA)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, attacking Australia’s Andrew Bogut for a reverse layup in a men’s basketball quarterfinal, has become the defensive stopper for the dominant U.S. team, which plays Spain for a gold medal on Sunday in Beijing.  (Eric Gay / AFP/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie, who became the first person in Olympic basketball history to win four consecutive gold medals, is defended by Russia’s Ilona Korstin during a quarterfinal game.  (Eric Gay / Associated Press)

Misty May-Treanor, a native of Costa Mesa, goes for the ball against China in the women’s beach volleyball gold-medal match at the 2008 Olympics.

Glendora‘s Bryan Clay reacts to his discus throw during the decathlon. The 28-year-old went on to win the gold medal and says he is looking forward to trying for another in 2012.  (Adrian Dennis / AFP/Getty Images)

Santa Clarita‘s Mike Day heads down the start ramp on his way to qualifying for the finals of BMX, which made its Olympic debut in Beijing. Day would ride to a silver medal. Donny Robinson of Napa, Calif., took the bronze and Jill Kintner of Seattle got bronze in women’s BMX.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Irvine’s Aaron Peirsol, right, and Ryan Lochte head into the final lap of the men’s 200-meter backstroke. Peirsol took silver to Lochte’s gold, giving Peirsol seven medals in his Olympic career. He set a world record in winning the 100-meter backstroke in Beijing and took part in the world-record setting 400-meter medley relay that gave Michael Phelps his eighth gold medal.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Ryan Millar, who was an All-American player at Highland High in Palmdale, was a steady force for the gold-medal winning men’s volleyball team, which knocked off top-ranked and defending champion Brazil in four games.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)