Jingle bells and Olympians: Athletes name the sports legends they would invite over for their holiday celebrations
Which Olympic athlete would be most fun to spend the holidays with? We asked some fellow Olympians to find out.
Imagine Hanyu Yuzuru making a snowman in the front yard. Or Emma McKeon and Eliud Kipchoge leading a carol sing-along by candlelight. Perhaps Yulimar Rojas cooking up hallacas in the kitchen. Or maybe Eileen Gu setting up a firework display in the backyard while the USA men's and women's basketball teams debate over who gets to put on the Christmas tree-topper.
If having an Olympian over for the holidays sounds like fun, grab some candy canes and get in line.
Athletes would happily fling their house doors open to Olympians as well. We asked a number of them who they would most love to see ring their doorbell this holiday season.
Nation's sports heroes rockin' around the Christmas tree
The holidays are a great time to swap gifts and share festive traditions. And who better with than Olympic legends representing your nation's flag?
For Brazilian rugby sevens player Yasmim Soares, the choice of the season's guest of honour is simple.
"Rebeca Andrade," Soares said. "She has raised our country's profile abroad, in gymnastics, always competing for first place. Competing against a girl who is also the favourite in her sport [Simone Biles, USA] and she has been showing her face and showing, 'This is Brazil'. So I see her, I look at her, and I say, 'Man, this woman is wonderful, right, bro?'
"She would be the person I would invite for Christmas to exchange ideas, to ask her what it's like to be among the greatest in the world and being the greatest in the world. Because for us here in Brazil, she's the greatest in the world."
Picking the brain of a successful Olympian is also what Paris 2024 double medallist Osmar Olvera would love to do over the holiday season.
The Mexican diver went back in time for his dream Christmas invitation to welcome in Joaquin Capilla, Melbourne 1956 diving champion and most decorated Mexican Olympian of all time. Capilla passed away in 2010 at the age of 81.
"I'd ask him many technical and mental things about diving," Olvera said. "For example, what was he thinking in those moments of great pressure when he knew it was the last dive for the gold medal and he couldn't fail? What was crossing through his mind and what was he thinking in those moments?"
Capilla is not the only diver who would get a warm reception at a festive dinner.
British figure skater Lewis Gibson also has a favourite diving hero he would enjoy chatting to over the holidays.
"I'd like to invite Tom Daley because I feel like we have a lot in common," Gibson said. "I can just imagine us talking about all our favourite queens!"
Swapping gifts and giggles with personal heroes
Gymnasts appear to be among the most in demand athletes at family holiday parties with Gibson’s ice dance partner Lilah Fear happy to find extra space for a certain seven-time Olympic gold medallist, if needed.
"Simone Biles, she's fun," Fear gushed. "I'm so in awe her as an athlete and just the mental game side as a psychology student. I'd love to chat about her whole journey to Paris [2024] and then also how she's processing the next chapter and I think that we'd have some good giggles together."
Laughs would also be guaranteed if eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt took up Vasco Vilaca’s invitation to join him at Christmas.
"Usain Bolt is an athlete who is not only spectacular in terms of results, but also as a person," the Portuguese triathlete said. "He would be a great person to spend Christmas with."
For German figure skater Minerva Fabienne Hase, spending time with Tessa Virtue would be the best Christmas present of all.
"I just love her. She's one of my idols," Hase said of the Canadian three-time Olympic champion. "I admire her and her strength, and the emotions she gave me on the ice while she was skating were just amazing. I want to meet her maybe one day in person and talk to her, maybe get a photo, because I never had the chance when she was still skating."
Like Hase, 2024 Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Jacob Sanchez wants to invite someone he can not only split eggnog with, but also go skating with.
"I would invite Nathan Chen," the USA figure skater said of the Beijing 2022 men's singles champion. "He's such a great skater and also he's a really good human off the ice and he seems like a really cool guy. I personally haven't met him yet, but I feel like if I were to invite him for Christmas dinner, we would just have such good talks about anything and everything."
At a towering 1.9 metres, Yona Knight-Wisdom needs no help putting on tree-toppers but the Jamaican diver would still be thrilled to have LeBron James over for the holidays and chat to the three-time Olympic gold medallist.
"I would ask him about his journey through his career," Knight-Wisdom said. "He made some really tough decisions in terms of different teams to join. When he left Cleveland and people were burning his jersey, how did that feel going through it?
"How has he been able to prolong his career for such a long period of time, maintaining the focus and the vision and the ambition with every single game? The drive is phenomenal."
Definitely not home alone
For some, having one Olympian over for dinner is not enough. Osmar Olvera says Michael Jordan would definitely make his guest list along with another team sports icon – Lionel Messi - who won football gold with Argentina back at Beijing 2008.
“They are all legends,” Olvera summed up.
A house full of legends is also what Nakata Rio dreams of this holiday season.
"I want to invite the Japan baseball team," the Japanese figure skater said. "And Uno Shoma."
Paris 2024 skateboarding champion Arisa Trew, meanwhile, wants to see more familiar faces among her guests.
"An Olympian I would invite for Christmas dinner is probably any of the skater girls because I know them really well and we have a really fun time," the Australian teen said.
As for French figure skater Kevin Aymoz, there is no need to choose. Any Olympic athlete is welcome at his holiday party.
"Every Olympian! They're beautiful because every Olympian worked a lot to get there," the Beijing 2022 competitor said. "So we all deserve a Christmas dinner, all together!"