We’re a few weeks away from the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The open ceremony is scheduled for Friday, July 27, and in the weeks ahead there will be plenty of patriotic sentiment building up and a flurry of human interest stories to consume.

With the proliferation of social media worldwide, this year’s Olympic games promises to be new experience. Fans can follow the action on a minute-by-minute basis and there are new ways available to connect with the athletes that will be competing.

To further this effort, Samsung and the U.S. Olympic Committee are teaming up to launch the U.S. Olympic Genome Project. This online community will give fans a chance to connect with Team USA Olympians, Paralympians and Olympic hopefuls in new and unique ways.

A few weeks back, I had a chat with four-time Olympic medalist Dominque Dawes and U.S. women’s soccer team member and Olympic hopeful Megan Rapinoe. We discussed the U.S. Olympic Genome Project, the problem of obesity in America, the Magnificent Seven and the hopes and chances of the women’s U.S. gymnastics and U.S. soccer teams. Here’s the interview:

You can learn more about the U.S. Olympic Genome Project by visiting the Samsung Genome Project Facebook Page.