What's in a name

Beach Volleyball at the 2024 Paris Olympics

While we're deep into the USL League One season, we've also go the Olympics going on right now. Once we get past the issues with the International Olympic Committee and the price tag that comes with hosting an Olympic games, the actual events are fantastic. Seeing competitors get their moment in the international spotlight is always special and you can see what it means to the athletes when they win (or fail to win) a medal not only for themselves, but for their nation. 

It's captivating stuff.

And there's so many sports. So many. I've given up trying to find what to watch and just decide to let the Gold Zone channel decide for me. I know I miss a lot, but seeing the athletes competing in events that have a medal on the line is great.

And with that introduction, I'd like to steal another idea from a podcast I listen to (Hey, it's a long season and it's tough to come up with fun things to write about each week), and assign each player listed on the Tormenta website to an Olympic sport based solely on their name and what sport that name seems most suited for. There's no rhyme or reason to it. Just "that name sounds like he should be competing in (that sport)."  Let's get to it and see how this goes. 

Josh Ramos - Ramos seems like the perfect name of a Handball player. (Team Handball is awesome and I hope you're watching it.)

Alsadiq Hasan - No doubt about it, Hasan is a gold medal winning Archer.

Callum Stretch - This is the name of someone who finished in 8th place in the Long Jump.

Collin Mocyunas - A Steeplechase competitor if I've ever heard one.

Aaron Lombardi - Poor Aaron Lombardi, having to miss out on the Olympic experience in Paris as the Surfing competition was held in Tahiti.

Preston Kilwien - Previously one of the rowers, this is Kilwien's first time as the Coxswain of the Rowing team, leading them to a respectable 6th place finish. 

Jake Dengler - There's not a more skatebording sounding name than Jake Dengler. 

Sebastian Vivas - Point guard for the Argentinian basketball team averaging 12 points and six assists in the tournament.

Gabriel Rodriguez - Breakout star of BMX Freestyle in these games. Faltered in the finals, but took home a silver medal and won over the crowd in the process. 

Ford Parker - This is the name of a Judo contestant who exceeded expectations before being defeated in the round of eight.

Drew Romig - There's no more BMX Racing name than Drew Romig. He owns this event.

Sam Jones - This is the name of America's best hope in the 10,000 meter race.

Niall Watson - Key cog in England's Cycling Team Pursuit. Lost by .31 to a dominant Netherlands team in the semifinals. 

Daniel Steedman - Clearly he's in the Equestrian with his trusty steed. (All the jokes aren't going to be winners.)

Pedro Fonseca - Led Brazil to their best-ever finish in Beach Volleyball.

Jackson Khoury - 10 meter Platform Diving specialist making his Olympic debut in 2024.

Austin Wehner - Leading contender in the Kayak Sprint 1000 meter race. 

Mason Tunbridge - Still recovering from the decathlon competition. Would have scored higher but for his troubles with Pole Vault. 

Dodge Brooks - Took up fencing as a high school freshman because the girl he had a crush on was in to it. Three years later he's an Olympian. 

Tavio D'Almedia - This is, without question, the best rugby player you've never heard of. 

Ajmeer Spengler - A legend in field hockey who is hanging up his field hockey stick after the 2024 games.

Aaron Walker - Solid contributor to the Water Polo squad who scored a game winning goal in a group stage match.

Conor Doyle - An Irish boxer from the 1910s who used the fame from his Olympic bronze medal wining performance to rally Irish troops in World War I.

Pedro Campos - Lost to Novak Djokovic in the Round of 16 but will get his revenge at next year's Australian Open. 

Weather permitting (i.e. there's no lingering effects from Tropical Storm Debby), we'll be back Friday with a preview of Tormenta's Jagermeister Cup matchup with Richmond.