At a crossroads

There are 530 athletes who will represent the U.S. at the Summer Games in London, which begin July 27. But there are far more who tried and failed, who spent years training for Olympic bids that didn’t come. What do they do next?

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Tyrieshia Douglas, shown working out at the Upton Boxing Center in Baltimore, devoted the past three years of her life to making the 2012 Olympic team. But the 112-pound flyweight lost a lopsided decision to Marlen Esparza at the Olympic trials in February.

Doug Kapustin / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Tyrieshia Douglas, 23, stopped attending classes at Prince George's Community College and moved from D.C. to Baltimore in order to focus on training for the Olympics.

Doug Kapustin / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

After failing to earn a spot on the Olympic team, Tyrieshia Douglas worked a security job in D.C. and eventually resumed training for a professional boxing career. She will make her professional debut on Aug. 4 in D.C.

Doug Kapustin / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Decathlete Bryan Clay competed in the past two Olympics, winning silver in Athens in 2004 and gold in Bejing in 2008. At age 32, London was likely going to be his last Olympic games.

Christian Petersen / GETTY IMAGES

Decathlete Bryan Clay (left) clips a barrier and stumbles in the 110 hurdles at the Olympic trials in June. The misstep robs him of any chance of qualifying for his third straight Olympics; Clay finishes 12th overall in the final standings.

STEVE DIPAOLA / REUTERS

Decathlete Bryan Clay reacts after stumbling in the 110 hurdles and falling out of contention for an Olympic berth. But Clay is still heading to London, where he will tell his story and represent his agency, The Factory.

Andy Lyons / GETTY IMAGES

Wrestler Helen Maroulis (in blue), a three-time national champion from Rockville, suffered a surprising loss at the Olympic trials in April. The disappointment has yet to subside.

Matthew Stockman / GETTY IMAGES

Wrestler Helen Maroulis (right) thought about retiring at age 20 after suffering a disappointing loss at the Olympic trials. Instead, she resumed training.

CRIS BOURONCLE / AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Ashley Hansen has been one of the top college softball players in the country the past four years. But the sport was dropped from the 2012 Olympics, and Hansen will instead begin work as a business development associate for a technology startup.

Nati Harnik / ASSOCIATED PRESS

"My whole life was going to London, putting a gold medal around my neck for Team USA," boxer Tyrieshia Douglas said. "But that didn't go through. So then it was onto Plan B."

Doug Kapustin / FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

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