# 2012 Olympics - Most hilarious competitor names **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 31, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928 "2012-07-31T04:51:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/1 "2012-07-31T04:51:52Z")
Yeah, I know I’m not supposed to find this funny, but I am easily amused and I love a cheap laugh. Here’s my three submissions (and why I find it hilarious): Destinee Hooker - USA Indoor Volleyball Destiny: Hooker Laszlo Cseh - Hungarian Swimmer Gesundheit! Lolo Jones - USA Hurdler Can she jump Highhigh enough? ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/2 "2012-07-31T06:25:31Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > Laszlo Cseh - Hungarian Swimmer > > Gesundheit! I’ll give you destinee hooker, but are you maybe pronouncing this one wrong? Imagine the ‘s’ was an ‘h’, and you got the ch sound you expect in English. That doesn’t sound sneezy to me… ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/3 "2012-07-31T07:27:01Z")
Having [Jack Bauer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Bauer_(cyclist))as a competitor meant the cycling roadrace was never going to be interrupted by any terrorists. He did pretty well too, finishing 10th out of 144. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/4 "2012-07-31T08:14:31Z")
I don’t know if it’s _funny_, but Usain **Bolt** is from Jamaica and he does track. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/5 "2012-07-31T12:25:24Z")
I still am amused by the two Chinese winter olympians, Yang Yang (A) and Yang Yang (S). The letters were added arbitrarily to differentiate them, the “S” for “small” and the “A” for “August” because she didn’t like her original “L” for “Large.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/6 "2012-07-31T13:10:10Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > Having [Jack Bauer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Bauer_(cyclist))as a competitor meant the cycling roadrace was never going to be interrupted by any terrorists. > > He did pretty well too, finishing 10th out of 144. Hah, good one! As for Cseh, imagine a petite sneeze. Instead of a big achoo, think of a little “cheh”. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/7 "2012-07-31T18:24:31Z")
There’s a Japanese volleyball player with the name **Yoshie Takeshita**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/8 "2012-08-01T12:25:47Z")
Regis Philbin used to frequently say “Liam Neeson” for no reason other than it was fun to say. I wonder who is the Liam Neeson of these Olympics. I do find myself saying “Laszlo Cseh” a lot. I’ll admit it’s fun to say. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/9 "2012-08-01T12:34:00Z")
Ning Ding who plays ping pong ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/10 "2012-08-01T13:56:49Z")
Bradley Wiggins is a pretty unfortunate name. Not because it sounds like anything rude; just because it sounds ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/11 "2012-08-01T14:15:27Z")
Lolo Jones, Available Jones’ Cousin. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/12 "2012-08-01T14:16:04Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Ning Ding who plays ping pong And Dong Dong goes boing boing in the men’s trampoline competition. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/13 "2012-08-01T14:39:49Z")
I quite enjoyed Wing Ki Wong in the men’s badminton. ETA: I notice a good number of examples in this thread are from East Asian countries. Do you suppose native speakers of languages of these countries also have a laugh at certain “normal” Western names that sound funny in their mother tongue? I see no reason why not. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/14 "2012-08-01T14:57:12Z")
I always felt a little for American gymnast Nastia Liukin. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/15 "2012-08-01T15:15:41Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I always felt a little for American gymnast Nastia Liukin. _Googles_ Hmm, if she’s one of the [Nastia Liukin](http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30000000/lovely-liukin-nastia-liukin-30088602-324-384.jpg) ones, I’ll have to check out the rest of the team. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/16 "2012-08-01T15:16:59Z")
[Kim Yoo Suk](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://oddityroom.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/kim-yoo-suk2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://fotounik.net/nama-unik-kim-yoo-suk-fuk-mi/&h=454&w=550&sz=37&tbnid=ptIVY7yR0G7eTM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=113&zoom=1&usg=__fJLxDrPfiq_jZLqPvmGBAfdRymM=&docid=oZiXQy6k9GXtGM&sa=X&ei=KkgZUKOPH4Ge8QTO3oEw&ved=0CGAQ9QEwBQ), pole vault. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/17 "2012-08-01T15:28:20Z")
British boxer Anthony Ogogo ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/18 "2012-08-01T21:16:18Z")
I cannot believe no one has mentioned the best one yet: Hulk who plays for the [Brazilian Soccer Team](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1279008-hulk-assessing-his-role-for-brazil-at-the-london-2012-olympics). He was named/nicknamed such because his [dad was a big Lou Ferrigno fan](http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jun/01/chelsea-hulk-career-incredible?newsfeed=true) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/19 "2012-08-01T21:49:10Z")
Australian synchro-divers Wiggins and Bugg, who sound like a firm of Dickensian lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928/20 "2012-08-04T13:44:56Z")
One of the riders in the upper crust sport of show jumping is the aptly-named Rich Fellers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-most-hilarious-competitor-names/629928.md?page=2)