Maybe you’re not the biggest Olympics fan, or maybe you haven’t been keeping up with Olympic sports since London. It’s OK. We forgive you. In fact, we want to help you find your new favorite sport and Olympian.
If you liked Shawn Johnson in 2008, you should watch Laurie Hernandez in 2016.
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Both women have solid all-around chops, as Johnson won worlds in 2015 and Hernandez took second — behind three-time world champion Simone Biles — at the U.S. championships and Olympic Trials this summer. Like Johnson, Hernandez is a powerful tumbler, and her floor routine is can’t-miss. Johnson has even become a mentor to Hernandez.
If you liked Natalie Coughlin, you should watch Maya DiRado
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Coughlin won 12 Olympic medals — four of them gold — over three Olympics, but didn’t make the 2016 team. Like Coughlin, DiRado is versatile. She is swimming the backstroke and two different lengths of the individual medley in Rio. They’re also both from the Bay area of California. The biggest difference between them is in their schools — Coughlin went to Cal, the fierce rival of DiRado’s alma mater, Stanford.
If you like basketball, you should watch water polo.
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Both sports have a goal on either end, can get very physical and require tons of cardio stamina. Water polo players swim the whole time, and they aren’t allowed to touch the bottom of the pool.
If you liked Michael Phelps in 2008, you should watch Katie Ledecky.
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While Phelps will swim in Rio, his slate of swims is much shorter this time around. For total pool domination in Rio, look to Ledecky. What’s fascinating about the 19-year-old is how she rules one stroke, the freestyle, but at different lengths. She’s swimming the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyles, which is like being a sprinter and marathoner all at once.
If you like football, you should watch rugby sevens.
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Your understanding of scoring, kicks, and importance of speed will come in handy as you give rugby sevens a chance. The sport is fast with hard hits and strong players. On Team USA, you’ll even see a Patriot. New England safety Nate Ebner will play rugby in Rio.
If you like “The Princess Bride,” you should watch fencing.
(U.S. Presswire)
This Olympics (probably) won’t feature elaborate revenge fantasies, murderous fiances, Billy Crystal or Rodents of Unusual Size. Well, maybe the last one. What it does promise is the best swashbuckling on the planet in the sport of fencing. The U.S. has a particularly strong team in men’s foil and women’s saber, so watch it before you fight anyone to the pain.
If you like Bo Jackson, you should watch Galen Rupp.
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Bo Jackson did not like offseasons. When he wasn’t excelling in football, he was making waves in baseball. Galen Rupp could be done competing on August 13, when he tries to win gold in the 10,000m run, which he took a silver medal in during the 2012 Olympics. But no, he’s going to try and win the marathon on August 21, as well.
If you like soccer, you should watch handball.
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I get it. A handball is actually a bad thing in soccer, so soccer fans may wince at the very idea of watching the sport that has been in the Olympics since 1972. It looks like a basketball/soccer hybrid, and is physical and fast-moving and such fun. The U.S. doesn’t have a team participating, so just pick a country and cheer.
