Who will truly represent in Beijing? A wrap-up of previews

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- The Golden State is nicely represented on the U.S. Olympic team. Helene Elliott has the definitive list of the dozens of athletes who call California home and have the best chance to bring home a medal from the Beijing Games.

- Bill Plaschke reflects on his complicated feelings about China during these Games: ‘After three full days of wandering through the colorful, wonderfully mysterious streets of Beijing, I have two observations. This place touches my heart. This place scares me to death.’ Read his whole column here.

- Will the face of these Games be that of Yao, Liu Xiang, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt or Kenenisa Bekele? Or will it be an underdog that the world hasn’t even discovered yet?

- Lopez Lomong’s story continues to evolve, from the nightmare of being blindfolded and carried away in a truck in Africa as a 6-year-old to being the U.S. flag-bearer at the Games. Bill Dwyre reports.

- The silver lining of the recent injuries of the Hamm twins means bittersweet opportunities for two on the U.S. men’s gymnastics team -- alternates who now have a chance to represent. Diane Pucin talks with Raj Bhavsar and Alexander Artemev who are suddenly in the spotlight.

-- Tony Pierce