Some of the world’s biggest stars won’t be at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro – CBS sports.com (blog)

The Olympic games in Rio are right around the corner, and it’s a showcase of some of the best talent in the world, from basketball to water polo. But, as always, some noticeable names will be missing out on the spectacle that is the Summer Olympics. Let’s have a look at some marquee names that won’t be in Rio for the games.

Kobe Bryant:

No Team USA for the Black Mamba, and at this point you may know why he’s a no-go. Arguably one of the top players in the history of basketball will miss the Olympics after sticking to his plan of retiring at the end of the NBA regular season several weeks ago. It’s also worth noting that Bryant was not included in Team USA’s preliminary roster. Bryant knows plenty about the Olympics, having won gold at the 2008 and 2012 games in Beijing and London, respectively.

Lionel Messi:

Unlike his Barcelona teammate Neymar, Lionel Messi will take his talents to the United States this summer, representing Argentina at the Copa America Centenario tournament. Messi will be aiming for Argentina’s first major trophy since 1993. In Olympic soccer on the men’s side, the participating nations are required to bring players under the age of 23, and can only call up three players over that age. Messi won’t be one of them.

Tiger Woods:

We will see the return of golf in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The sport will be featured for the first time in 112 years, but Tiger Woods won’t be going. Blame it on injury woes or his age, Woods has been a shell of himself for several years now, and because of his low ranking, he’s not even eligible for the Olympics. So this isn’t much of a shocker.

Sydney LeRoux:

The forward for the U.S. women’s national team won’t be playing this summer, but it isn’t because a lack of performance. She and her husband, MLS soccer player Dom Dwyer, are having a baby.

Maria Sharapova (BONUS):

This one isn’t necessarily etched in stone. The Russian tennis star announced she failed a drug test for a banned substance shortly after the Australian Open in January. Sharapova, winner of the 2012 Olympic gold, is currently suspended for doping, but all hope is not lost. More from the Los Angeles Times:

The Russian tennis star and dozens of other athletes who have tested positive for meldonium might have their provisional suspensions lifted while officials further investigate the nature of the drug.

We’ll have to wait and see whether or not she’ll be in Rio come August.