RIO DE JANEIRO — Spelling and remembering names can be a challenge at an event featuring athletes from around the world.
In Rio, the longest name belongs to Julia Vasconcelos Dos Santos, who competes for Brazil in judo. In London, it was Iranian weightlifter Saeid Mohammadpourkarkaragh. The longest name in Olympic history dates back to 1956 and belongs to a skier: Max Emanuel Maria Alexander Victor Bruno de la Santisima Trinidad y Todos los Santos von Hohenlohe Langenburg. He competed for Liechtenstein, which added an extra challenge.
So we get why some athletes might be tempted to change their names, for whatever reason. We’re just not sure that Shem Wei Goh — who changed his middle name to V — is the best case study.
“It stands for ‘victory’ and is easier to remember, so it’s better for me,” said the Malaysian badminton player. There was apparently some feng shui involved in the decision, too.
IT FIGURES: Usain Bolt doesn’t lose in his sleep, either. The Jamaican sprinting star was talking about a recurring dream the other day, in which he is being chased. “Hopefully the dream will stop,” he said. “It is always that same dream every now and then … but it is a good dream because they never catch me.”
HORSING AROUND: Most athletes only have to worry about themselves at the Olympics. That’s not the case for those competing in equestrian, and their equine partners can prove a challenge sometimes. Take Japanese jumper Reiko Takeda, who says her horse Bardolino “has a lot of character.”
“He really needs lots and lots of love. And he is always like, ‘Me, me, me,’ wanting attention,” she says. “He also loves eating. Always, ‘food, food, food,’ always calling me, because he knows I spoil him. So I always have a lot of carrots.”
SPEAKING OF FOOD: Asked about his victory in the men’s 100-metre hurdles, Jamaican Omar McLead said hurdles was all about character. “I worked hard, prayed hard and seized the moment. I can’t get my mind around this. Is this real? To God be the glory. Now I’m going to eat as much ice cream and cake as I can.”
TWEET OF THE DAY: Canadian heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton, who won a bronze medal earlier these Games, played it safe with her wardrobe choice for the first-round of the decathlon competition on Wednesday, with both her American husband, Ashton Eaton, and Canadian teammate, Damian Warner, competing.
bwake@postmedia.com