Neymar, left, is captain of a Brazil men's football team looking to improve on silver at London 2012 and a poor World Cup performance on home soil in 2014.
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Volleyball —
All four athletes in this photo could be Olympic medalists by the time August finishes. Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes, at the front, are marginally ahead of compatriots Barbara Seixas de Freitas and Agatha Bednarczuk in the Olympic rankings.
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Robert Scheidt —
Robert Scheidt won two Olympic titles for Brazil in sailing's Laser class before switching to the Star class. Star is now out of the Olympics, so Scheidt is back in a Laser for what should be his final Olympic appearance.
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Arthur Zanetti —
Arthur Zanetti was crowned gymnastics' newest Lord of the Rings with Olympic gold on the apparatus in 2012. He is the only Olympic gymnastics champion in Brazil's history.
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Mayra Aguiar —
Mayra Aguiar is a favorite for Olympic gold in the women's -78kg judo category at Rio 2016. Also watch out for team-mate Sarah Menezes on the opening day of the Games.
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Doubles tennis —
Marcelo Melo (right) and Bruno Soares are medal contenders in men's doubles tennis -- although Soares' usual doubles partner, Jamie Murray, represents one half of a formidable British entry alongside brother Andy.
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Fabiana Murer —
Eight years ago, Olympic organizers in Beijing mislaid Fabiana Murer's equipment during the competition, ruining her chances of a medal. Now she's a world silver medalist in the pole vault heading into her home Games.
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Ana Marcela Cunha —
Ana Marcela Cunha's colorful hair will be wrapped under a swimcap when she does battle in Rio. At last year's world championships in Kazan, Russia she won gold in the 25km marathon and a bronze in the 10km as well as a silver medal in the team open water event.
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Isaquias Queiroz —
Isaquias Queiroz picks up Brazil's male athlete of the year award from the country's Olympic committee last year. This year, he's a leading contender for sprint canoe gold -- this all despite losing a kidney at the age of 10.
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