- Comments on the surnames of some Olympic athletes have become quite popular
- Notably Germany’s Robert Farken and Australia’s Ollie Hoare
- Track athletes competed in the 1500m heat, leading to some humorous moments
- German double sculls rower Julius Christ also gained attention in Paris
In the realm of the Olympics, the focus isn’t solely on gold medal winners for sports enthusiasts around the globe.
Many observant fans have taken note of some unfortunate yet amusing instances of athletes’ surnames at amusing times in Paris.
From the German double sculls rower Julius Christ—whose name gets abbreviated to J.Christ in competition—to his fellow athlete Robert Farken, it’s hard not to chuckle.
Aussie comedian Danny McGinlay took to X to poke fun at ’J. Christ’, commenting: ‘Surely one of these guys has an unfair advantage on the water?’
‘With all that water, it’s about to turn into wine,’ joked another observer.
When Farken faced off against Aussie Oliver Hoare in the 1500m heats, the humor wrote itself, especially with the two track stars side by side during and after the race.
Fans on Reddit were quick to enjoy the interaction between Farken and Hoare on the purple track in Paris.
‘They [runners] coordinated that perfectly,’ one fan joked. Another added: ‘Haha, that’s classic.’
When it comes to the Olympics, sometimes who wins the gold medals isn’t the sole focus for sporting fans (pictured, track stars Robert Farken from Germany and Australia’s Oliver Hoare)
German rower Julius Christ (left) has also been a fan favourite during the Paris Games
Daoyi Long and Zongyuan Wang of China after winning gold in the Men’s Synchronised 3 metre Springboard event
When in competition mode, the Chinese stars were an easy target for cheeky fans on social media
The merriment continued in diving as two Chinese divers had the surnames Long and Wang while competing together.
Ironically, they enjoyed victory, capturing gold in the Men’s Synchronised 3m Springboard event.
Additionally, in swimming, Canadian star Mary-Sophie Harvey found herself in a lane next to America’s Claire Weinstein.
Harvey Weinstein is a well-known American film producer, but he is also a convicted sex offender following serious misconduct in Hollywood.
Canadian swimming supporter Emma Sachs encapsulated many sentiments by tweeting: ‘maybe shouldn’t have put USA and Canada next to each other here.’
The Paris Games are set to run until August 11, offering plenty of opportunities for athletes to entertain viewers—regardless of whether they finish with a medal.
