Ten American Athletes to Watch in Rio (And Some International Ones, Too)
In no particular order… (except for Greg Rutherford, he’s always #1 in my heart)
- Women’s Basketball
Most of the pre-Olympics media attention focused on the Warriors –er, I mean the U.S. men’s basketball team, but the women’s team is the one you should be paying attention to. More so than any other group of professional athletes, WNBA players have been fearlessly outspoken about the Black Lives Matter movement, and it’s not just players of color speaking out. The WNBA set the Internet ablaze when they decided to fine players who wore BLM-related t-shirts during practice and warm-ups, and the players proudly doubled-down before the fines were rescinded. While the Olympics love to pretend to be free of politics, don’t be surprised if the women’s team takes a note out of Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ book and make a statement on the podium.
2. Nico Hernandez (Boxing)
Hernandez is a native Kansan, which is not exactly a hotbed for Olympic activity, boxing or otherwise. In fact, he’s the first Kansan to make the Summer Olympics in over a decade. He’s been outspoken about his disappointment in the Olympic coaching process, namely how it has prevented him from training with his father. Family is a huge deal for Hernandez, and he’s got the tattoos to prove it. Aside from his family, he’s fighting for his late friend Tony Losey, who was a top prospect to make the U.S. boxing team before he was tragically killed in a workplace accident. Hernandez has already won his first round match, so he’s on the right track for gold.
3. USA Fencing Team
Even most fencing-illiterate Americans have heard of Mariel Zagunis, who in 2004 became the first American fencer to win gold. Competitive fencing tends to carry an elitist/prep school image in the eyes of many Americans, but the fencing team is actually one of the most diverse group of athletes representing the United States this year. There’s Miles Chamley-Watson, who apart from being a badass foil fencer is a professional model. Like, guys, WHY IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT MILES CHAMLEY-WATSON? There’s also Daryl Homer, who won silver at the World Championships last year, Nzingha Prescod (who became the first U.S. women’s foil fencer to win a Grand Prix title in 2013), and Ibtihaj Muhammad, who was a close runner-up to Michael Phelps to be the U.S. flag-bearer in the Opening Ceremony. She may not be a professional model like Chamley-Watson, but Muhammad and her family own and run their own clothing company, Louella, with the aim of providing Muslim women with beautiful, modest, kickass clothes. If you’re wondering how the U.S. fencing team ended up being so amazingly diverse, a lot of the credit belongs to former Olympic fencer Peter Westbrook. After he retired, Westbrook started a foundation aimed at getting kids from underprivileged communities involved in fencing. Homer, Prescod, and Muhammad all started out their fencing careers in Westbrook’s programs.
4. Women’s Soccer
Do you really need a reason to watch the USWNT? The men’s team didn’t even qualify for the Olympics, people. Whatever I could say about the USWNT has already been said by far more qualified people. In a world where feminism is still under the constant threat of attack, the USWNT is our most shining beacon of hope. They paved the way not only for female athletes, but LGBT ones as well. All this to say: if the women pull out their expected victory, don’t be surprised if we see a write-in Presidential campaign for Carli Lloyd.
5. Simone Biles (Gymnastics)
I’m no gymnastics expert (although I used to have a highly embarrassing crush on Paul Hamm in middle school), but I, like everyone else in the world, recognize that Simone Biles is bar-not-even-close the greatest gymnast on the planet, perhaps ever. She’s going to win at least 5 gold medals, and will probably win each one by a yuuuuge margin. Just watch and take in the perfection. There’s a lot of underlying drama in the gymnastics world between Biles and the Karolyi family; namely that Biles and her coach find the Karolyi method a little too intense. Whatever the method, prepare to watch sheer domination.
6. Kayla Harrison (Judo)
Kayla Harrison was one of the best stories to come out of the last Olympics: if this video doesn’t make you feel like a better American, nothing will. Harrison has always been a fighter, long before she became an Olympic judo champion. When Harrison was a teenager, she was sexually abused by her former coach. Thankfully, he was eventually reported to the authorities and is now serving a 10-year prison sentence. After the 2012 Olympics, Harrison started the Fearless Foundation with the aim of shining a light on child sexual abuse and providing educational and support tools for survivors of child sexual abuse. There have been rumors that she might turn to an MMA career post-Rio, so look forward to that Ronda Rousey match-up in 2017.
7. Anthony Ervin (Swimming)
Ervin is currently the oldest member of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team, at the ripe old age of 35. This is the third time he has made the team; the first time was a shocking 16 years ago, when he won gold in Sydney. With that win, he became the first African-American swimmer to win Olympic gold. Ervin actually retired from swimming in 2003 and auctioned off his gold medal, but retirement clearly didn’t suit him. He has the 5th-fastest 50m freestyle time in the world this year, just one hundredth of a second behind teammate Nathan Adrian, so he has a very good chance of medaling in Rio. Like the women’s basketball team, Ervin is acutely award of the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement, and he gave a fascinating interview with Vice Sports earlier this year about self-identity and his relationship with race.
8. Sam Mikulak (Gymnastics)
Okay, so I know gymnastics is rightfully all about the ladies this year (and every year since 2004, to be honest), but if you’re looking for an American male to support, Sam Mikulak is our best hope for a medal. Like, we need to talk about Sam Mikulak and his perfect hair. Mikulak was a 7-time NCAA champion, and competed in the 2012 Olympics, where he placed 5th on vault despite spraining his ankle a few days before the finals. The men’s team qualified in second just behind China, and Mikulak had the highest scoring floor routine in qualifications, so look for him to impress next week.
9. Allyson Felix (Track & Field)
If you’re looking for a track athlete not named Usain Bolt, look no further than Allyson Felix. She famously decided to forgo college eligibility and turned professional at the age of 18, with Rio marking her 4th Olympics. In 2012, she became the first track athlete since 1988 to win three gold medals in a single Olympics, and confirmed her status as a professional badass. While she didn’t qualify for the 200m race this year, look for her to continue to dominate. Felix faced a lot of obstacles leading up to the Olympics, including the death of her beloved dog Chloe. Her journey in Rio will hopefully be problem-free as she looks to become the most decorated sprinter in U.S. Olympic history.
10. Kerri Walsh Jennings (Beach Volleyball)
Most Americans are familiar with the past dominance of Kerri Walsh Jennings, but this year marks the first time she’s competing in an Olympics without Misty May-Treanor, who retired after the 2012 Games. She’s now partnered with April Ross, the very woman she defeated in the 2012 gold medal match. Walsh Jennings blew minds everywhere when she announced she had competed at the 2012 Games WHILE PREGNANT, proving that women are magically powerful creatures who are capable of any and everything. Female beach volleyball players have had to deal with gross dudes critiquing their bikinis since the beginning of time, but time and time again Walsh Jennings has shut that shit down. She and Ross have already won their first round match, so she’s well on her way to her fourth consecutive gold medal.
Non-Americans to watch:
Juan Martín del Potro (Argentina, Tennis)
Juan Martín del Potro, known to tennis fans as Delpo, is a literal ray of sunshine. Just watch this video of him winning the 2009 U.S. Open. Don’t you want to give him a giant hug? He could use some hugs these days; he’s been struggling with a stupidly terrible wrist injury for the past few years. His performance against Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon this year was a good sign of things to come, and while facing Djokovic in the first round is a nightmare scenario, he did beat him for bronze at the last Olympics.
Petr Koukal (Czech Republic, Badminton)
WHY DID NO ONE FEEL THE NEED TO TELL ME THAT BADMINTON PLAYERS WERE HOT AF?! I don’t know much about Petr Koukal, but he is a young adult cancer survivor, which is pretty incredible. He’s an outside shot for a medal, but you should probably watch him in the early rounds just for his beautiful face.
Nicola Adams (Great Britain, Boxing)
In 2012, Nicola Adams became the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title. As of this May, she is the reigning Olympic, World, Commonwealth Games, and European Games champion in her weight class. She is openly bisexual, and was named the most influential LGBT person in Britain in 2012. Take some time and soak in her greatness.
Tom Daley (GBR) Diving
Dear NBC: If you don’t do a fluff piece on Tom Daley, I will probably never forgive you. If a straight athlete who was ranked in the top 5 of their given sport was engaged to an Academy Award-winning screenwriter, you would probably run like 6 fluff pieces. You would constantly show the Oscar-winner in the crowd, cheering their loved one on. But NBC diving commentators are evidently allergic to gay people. They completely ignored Matthew Mitcham’s incredible story in 2008, and when they did get around to telling his story in 2012, they called partner Lachlan his “special friend.” Can Lance Black at least be identified as the OSCAR-WINNING “SPECIAL FRIEND”?
Mack Horton (Australia, Swimming)
Mack Horton swam straight into my heart during Olympic coverage yesterday. You see, Mack Horton’s main rival in the 400m freestyle is Sun Yang, who was busted for doping in 2014. The drama started when Yang attempted to signal hello to Horton by splashing water at him; Horton ignored him because, “I don’t have time or respect for drug cheats.” SHOTS FIRED. In the finals, Horton edged out Yang for gold at the last second, and gave us our first iconic athlete interaction of the Games by throwing on his Clark Kent glasses and calling Yang a drug cheat to his face during their press conference. Yang responded by saying him and Horton, “don’t really talk.” Understatement of the century. #TeamMack and here’s to continued success in these Games, my dude.
Lydia Ko (New Zealand, Golf)
If you must watch golf, don’t waste your time with notorious homophobe Bubba Watson, who leads the men’s field. Instead, watch Lydia Ko dominate the women’s field while being her awesome, non-offensive self.
Epke Zonderland (Netherlands, Gymnastics)
Nicknamed the Flying Dutchman, this adorable ginger won gold in 2012 after Blowing. Everyone’s. Damn. Minds. with his insane high bar routine. Zonderland is so good at swinging around things that a Dutch zoo recruited him to teach monkeys how to get around their new enclosures. He’s struggled with injuries, but I never question Dutch magic.
Greg Rutherford (Great Britain, Long Jump)
Ginger Neil Patrick Harris — er, Greg Rutherford is probably my favorite Olympian. First of all: he’s FINE. AS. HELL. LOOK AT HIM HOLDING HIS CHILD. HIS TINY GINGER CHILD. Where is the charity calendar for this man? Did I mention he has a tiny adorable ginger child named Milo? HERE HE IS WITH SOME PUPPIES. Okay, so looks aside, he’s also the most accomplished long jumper of his generation, and holds every possible international title. He won gold in 2012, and seems likely to repeat in Rio. He’s also not afraid to speak out about the corruption plaguing his sport; he’s criticized British Athletics numerous times and recently criticized the IOC for their decision to let Russian athletes compete in Rio. If and when he wins, look for him to spill ALL THE TEA and look super hot while doing it.
Mo Farah (Great Britain, Track & Field)
Mo Farah is a badass who won two gold medals in London and looks good to repeat that feat in Rio. He also has a way cooler celebratory pose than Usain Bolt.
