- The surnames of some Olympic athletes have been a topic of conversation
- In particular, the German Robert Farken and the Australian Ollie Hoare.
- Athletics stars competed against each other in a 1500m race in funny scenes
- German double sculls rower Julius Christ is also a fan favourite in Paris
When it comes to the Olympics, sometimes who wins the gold medals isn’t the only concern of sports fans around the world.
Many eagle-eyed fans have been quick to spot an unfortunate (and at the same time amusing) combination of athletes’ surnames at the worst possible time in Paris.
Whether it’s German double sculls rower Julius Christ (shortened to J.Christ in competition) or his fellow athlete Robert Farken, it’s sometimes impossible not to laugh.
Australian comedian Danny McGinlay heads to X ‘J. Christ’ mocked, posting: ‘Surely one of these guys has an unfair advantage in the water.’
“All that water about to turn into wine,” another joked.
And when Farken competed against Australia’s Oliver Hoare in the 1500m heats, the joke wrote itself, especially when the track stars appeared side-by-side during and after the race.
On Reddit, fans of the Games had a blast watching Farken and Hoare together on the purple track in Paris.
“They had it planned from the beginning,” one fan joked. Another said: “Haha, that’s a good one.”
When it comes to the Olympics, sometimes the gold medal winner is not the only focus of attention for sports fans around the world (pictured: track and field stars Robert Farken of Germany and Oliver Hoare of Australia)
German rower Julius Christ (left) has also been a fan favourite during the Paris Games.
China’s Daoyi Long and Zongyuan Wang after winning gold in the men’s 3m synchronized springboard event
When they were in competition mode, Chinese stars were easy targets for brazen fans on social media.
The fun also extended to diving, where two Chinese divers had the surnames Long and Wang when they competed as a pair.
Ironically, they had the last laugh, winning gold in the men’s 3-meter synchronized springboard event.
And incredibly, during the swim, Canadian star Mary-Sophie Harvey was paired in a lane alongside American Claire Weinstein.
Harvey Weinstein is a famous American film producer, but also a convicted sex offender for sordid conduct when he was a key figure in Hollywood.
Canadian swimming enthusiast Emma Sachs spoke for many when she tweeted“Maybe I shouldn’t have put the United States and Canada next to each other here.”
The Paris Games run until August 11, so there is still plenty of time for athletes to entertain spectators, regardless of whether they end up with a medal.
