Give me someone to root for in the Olympics

Do you have to be cheering for the U! S! A!?

What about Mariel Zagunis, the two-time sabre gold medalist who carried the American flag at the Opening Ceremonies? Our only vaguely local connections are fencing and soccer.

Anthony Ervin, sprint freestyle swimmer from California who won gold in 2000, quit swimming in '03 and came back in 2011

swimmer Eric Shanteau, who was diagnosed with cancer right before the '08 Trials yet still qualified

Meb Keflegzighi, the first American man to win the NYC Marathon ('09) since Alberto Salazar in 1982. He was born in Eritrea and emigrated so he wouldn't be forced to fight against Ethiopia, and became a U.S. citizen in the late '90s.

 

He also set a world record earlier today

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/skorea-claims-archery-world-records-103415713--oly.html

 

Some good options here:

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/135400

 

Thanks

 

She can slam dunk me.
Otherwise, I got turned on to the Unified Team a few years ago. I'm hoping it makes a huge comeback in these Games.

 

Guor Marial of South Sudan
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/9417428/London-2012-Olympics-South-Sudans-Guor-Marial-allowed-to-compete-under-Olympic-flag-in-London.html
Competing under the Olympic flag since South Sudan hasn't had time to get a national committee up and running in the 55 weeks they've been a country.

 

Are you sure it's ready?

 

Philipine van Aanholt.

 

Women's beach volleyball. Doesn't matter who. ;D

 

US open water swimmer Alex Meyer might be a good choice.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/writers/sarah_kwak/07/23/alex-meyer-fran-crippen-2012-olympics-open-water-swimming/index.html

 

There were some fine looking Serbian women on this morning, even though they are probably murderous whores who like their knives off the court.

 

Forget Rafalca.

The Olympic equestrian to root for is Boyd Martin, on the U.S. eventing team (competition started this morning). A year ago he went into a burning barn to save the horse he's riding in the games. Barn and other horses were lost, this horse was badly injured in the fire.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/sports/horse-is-a-fire-survivor-and-a-possible-olympian.html