The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, are just over 30 days away. Cold-weather feats of astounding athleticism will stun spectators the world over. Across the globe, world-class athletes are training as we speak, hoping to do their countries proud on the world stage.
Take, for example, snowboarder Louie Vito. His sport involves performing jaw-dropping aerial acrobatics and bombing down mountains at breakneck speed. So, naturally, he's been busy lifting weights in preparation:
Protein refuel session always follows a good workout. #AmericasPROtein pic.twitter.com/XQQX2Lm7da
— Louie Vito (@louievito) December 30, 2013
Bobsledders Elana Meyers and Lolo Jones, meanwhile, must use strength and tenacity to get their massive sled moving before hurtling through a dangerous course. So they've been hitting the leg press hard — Jones recently took to Facebook to share their toned results:
Post by Lolo Jones.
Then there's the case of John Shuster, who leads the American men's curling team. His sport is kind of like an oversized game of shuffleboard, with competitors sliding heavy stones across a flat sheet of ice. Teamwork and strategy are required. But traditional athleticism? Not so much. Rather than weights, it seems Shuster is spending the run-up to Sochi worrying about, um, more important things:
“@DairyQueen: New Year, New BLIZZARD Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Pie BLIZZARD Treat. pic.twitter.com/Ukxes37Jxo” Can't wait to give this one a try
— John Shuster (@Shoostie2010) January 2, 2014
And there you have it: Olympic curling summed up in a single tweet.
To be fair, of course, Shuster is world-class at what he does and deserves respect and admiration for representing his country. Plus, his curling team's diverse range of backgrounds — he's a restaurant manager in Minnesota, a teammate is a science teacher and another guy is an engineer — lend a nice counterbalance to the increasingly corporatized Olympics.
But if there's one thing the Winter Olympics are good for, it's poking fun at the seriously bizarre sport known as curling. So, just over than 30 days out, let the Games begin.
[HT @billvoth]
Image: Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images