McLovin' the moniker: Winter Olympians and their catchy nicknames
All of them can call themselves 'Olympian' and some may even have earned the right to be named 'Olympic champion', but away from their sporting titles, there are many catchy, bizarre or even humorous nicknames athletes answer to at Beijing 2022.
What's the common link between 'Cabbage Boy', 'McLovin' and 'Buffalo from Kamyshly'? No, they aren't items on an exotically-themed fast-food menu. These are all nicknames of Olympians who have competed at Beijing 2022.
Olympics.com takes you on a whistlestop tour of the greatest nicknames found on the icy slopes, rinks and tracks of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
Ailing (Eileen) 'Snow Princess' Gu (freestyle skiing)
The 'Snow Princess' Ailing (Eileen) Gu has been the queen of the slopes since her arrival in Beijing. The Chinese star has two gold medals and a silver to her name, and her 1.3 million fans on Weibo can attest to the immense pulling power of this freestyle skiing phenom who has become something akin to royalty at the Olympic Winter Games.
Lee 'Cabbage Boy' Sangho (snowboard)
Republic of Korea's snowboard sensation Lee Sangho honed his craft on land that had originally been cabbage fields in his hometown of Sabuk. The 26-year-old's cinderella story has captivated fans back home, who refer to him fondly as 'Cabbage Boy'.
Arianna 'Blonde Arrow' Fontana (short track)
Italy's most successful Winter Olympian has garnered not one but two nicknames during her long, successful career in sport. Known as the 'Blonde Arrow' (Freccia Bionda) or 'Blonde Angel' (Angelo Biondo) the 11-time Olympic medallist has flown straight to the podium at Beijing 2022, with a gold and two silvers at these Olympic Winter Games.
Bart 'Swings on Wings' Swings (speed skating)
'Swings on Wings' certainly has a catchier ring to it than 'Swings on Skates', which is no doubt why this Belgian speedster gained the former moniker despite spending most of his days skating across the ice. The 31-year-old, who qualified to compete in four events at Beijing 2022, is swinging his way from goal to goal, which aligns well with his personal philosophy: "I don't have dreams, I have goals and now it's on to the next one."
Swings swung into the medals during his final race of Beijing 2022, winning the mass start for Belgium's first gold medal since 1948.
Mark 'McLovin' McMorris (snowboard)
Canada's Mark McMorris is something of a hippy at heart, which led to his nickname 'McLovin'. One of the most well-liked boarders on the snowboard circuit, the 28-year-old three-time Olympic bronze medallist is also known as 'McRib', 'Sparky' and 'The Closer'. But for a perfect manifestation of all the gooey feels, you can't get better than 'McLovin'.
Federica 'The Tiger' Brignone (Alpine Skiing)
Fierce, powerful and most of all fast, Italy's Federica Brignone has fully earned her nickname 'The Tiger' (La Tigre). Roaring into the Alpine skiing finish area to claim giant slalom silver and combined bronze at Beijing 2022, this Olympic medal-magnet is a different type of winter sports animal.
Sven 'The Flying Dutchman' Kramer (speed skating)
The Netherlands' Sven Kramer has been flying high since Torino 2006, winning an astonishing four gold medals along the way. It's not difficult to see why he is known as 'the Flying Dutchman' nor, for that matter, his other nickname - which is simply 'The Man'.
Dave 'The Rocket' Ryding (Alpine skiing)
Not since the days of 'Eddie the Eagle' have Team GB had an athlete with a nickname that has captured the nation in the way that Dave 'the Rocket' Ryding's has at Beijing 2022. The flying Brit won a first-ever Alpine skiing World Cup race in January 2022, and while his 13th place in the Olympic men's slalom may not have been the podium finish he was hoping for, he'll always be 'the Rocket' in our book.
Eduard 'Buffalo from Kamyshly' Latypov (biathlon)
ROC's Eduard Latypov already has three Olympic bronze medals to his name at Beijing 2022 but he deserves one more for having one of the most catchy nicknames at the Games. The 'Buffalo from Kamyshly' couldn't have chosen a more apt moniker to capture his unique blend of strength, power and stamina.
Chloe 'Imugi' Kim
USA snowboard sensation Chloe Kim definitely wins the award for the nickname that has been longest in the making. Kim was born in the Korean zodiac's year of the dragon and her father nicknamed her 'Imugi', which in Korean is a young dragon.
“To be a dragon in Korean tradition is to wait 1,000 years. Before [you are] a simple snake," he explained. “But wait about 1,000 years, and then [you turn into a] dragon, with a gold pearl."
While she waits, Kim will just have to make to with do with gold, courtesy of two medals of the most prized colour at the Olympic Winter Games, the two she won at the world championships, and six X Games top spots.
Ted-Jan 'TJ Flowers' Bloemen (speed skating)
Things have certainly been blooming for Ted-Jan Bloeman - or TJ Flowers if you will - at Beijing 2022. The Canadian speed skater has competed in three different events, with his best result a fifth-place finish in the men's team pursuit.
Blooming brilliant.
Tessa 'The Flea' Worley (Alpine skiing)
Lionel Messi's nickname isn't the only thing France's Tess Worley shares with the Argentine football legend. Worley fairly buzzes around the Alpine skiing slopes, using her agile 157cm frame to navigate the courses with style and skill. La Puce (French for 'The Flea') is also an affectionate name given to loved ones or children - an apt moniker for someone so well-loved in the world of Alpine.
Alexis 'The Beast' Pinturault (Alpine skiing)
Alexis Pinturault has been beasting it at the Olympics since Sochi 2014, winning two bronze medals and a silver prior to Beijing 2022. Nicknamed because of his muscular frame and huge physical capacity, 'La Bête', as he's known back home in France, is one of Alpine skiing's most formidable superstars.
Hallgeir 'Potato Chips King' Engebraaten (speed skating)
Men's team pursuit gold medallist Hallgeir Engebraaten has two loves: speed skating and potato chips. In fact, he loves potato chips so much that his friends chose a nickname for him based on the tasty snack, rather than the sport in which he so obviously excels.
"I'm more than fond of potato chips," he said on social media. "They call me the 'potato chips king'."
Kevin 'Quadzilla' Drury (freestyle skiing)
Ski cross star Kevin Drury has been channelling his inner beast with some stellar performances on the international circuit. Named after the legendary sea monster Godzilla, this Canadian freestyle skier followed up a fourth-place finish at PyeongChang 2018 with 12th at Beijing 2022.
Shaun 'Animal' White (Snowboarding)
He's an animal in the world of winter sport but snowboard legend Shaun White's nickname 'Animal' perhaps didn't originate from the source many people would think. “I’ve аctuаlly got а new nicknаme thаt’s kindа been cаtching on,” he told ESPN. "The Muppets [TV series] hаve а drummer nаmed Animаl, аnd I think I look like him. The new moniker is Shаun ‘Animаl’ White."
An improvement on 'flying tomato' with which White was saddled early in his career, solely due to his red hair. Not the greatest of monikers for one who's spent so long at the top of the snowboarding food chain.