{"id":2457,"date":"2016-08-18T12:00:38","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T16:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/?p=2457"},"modified":"2016-08-18T13:43:15","modified_gmt":"2016-08-18T17:43:15","slug":"summer-olympics-team-fandom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/?p=2457","title":{"rendered":"Summer Olympics: Team Fandom"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re anything like us, you’ve spent the better part of the last two weeks glued to your TV as top athletes from around the world compete for gold, silver, and bronze in sports that we tend to forget exist most of the time, but care passionately about for two weeks every four years. No matter your views\u00a0on the current state of politics or government or social justice, there’s something undeniably inspiring\u00a0about watching your country’s top athletes giving all they have to their chosen event. We in the United States\u00a0may not be united on a lot of fronts right now, but that hasn’t stopped anyone I know from being able to cheer on Katie Ledecky, Aly Raisman, Simone Manuel, Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, David Boudia, Nathan Adrian, and a whole slew of others as they shattered records and raked in medals for Team USA.<\/p>\n

There’s no denying that the Olympics can bring people from all sorts of disparate walks of life together — so what about disparate fandoms? Today, inspired by the unifying\u00a0powers of the Games, I’m imagining what a new sort of Olympic team would look like. One that is assembled from a community defined not be geographical boundaries, but by shared interests. What would the Games look like if the Opening Ceremonies included a team made up of all our favorite characters from books, movies, television, and comics? Well… maybe a little like this.<\/p>\n

Archery<\/h2>\n

\"tumblr_mk0w0i3pw91rbhjyqo1_500\"<\/p>\n

Katniss Everdeen<\/strong>,\u00a0The Hunger Games <\/em><\/p>\n

She gets the squirrel through the eye every time.<\/p>\n

\"Bow-and-Arrow\"<\/p>\n

Ygritte<\/strong>,\u00a0Game of Thrones <\/em><\/p>\n

Is it within regulation to paint the targets with the faces of your enemies?<\/p>\n

\"tumblr_me0kzsaUlQ1qmhxqdo1_500\"<\/p>\n

Susan Pevensie<\/strong>,\u00a0The Chronicles of Narnia <\/em><\/p>\n

I wonder if Cair Paravel has a display case for Olympic medals.<\/p>\n

\"206807705002202\"<\/p>\n

Robin Hood<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Olympics could use a few more split arrows.<\/p>\n

\"tumblr_m7w6moOtzz1r5i504\"<\/p>\n

Clint Barton\/Hawkeye<\/strong>, Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

Everyone else will be battling for the silver.<\/p>\n

\"0759622cfe4099a640bb5390ccc1e008\"<\/p>\n

Oliver Queen\/Green Arrow<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

Is there an Olympic category for shooting tennis balls?<\/p>\n

Boxing<\/h2>\n

\"giphy<\/p>\n

Sarah Walker<\/strong>,\u00a0Chuck <\/em><\/p>\n

I almost feel sorry for anyone who has to face the “giant blond she-male<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Kara “Starbuck” Thrace<\/strong>,\u00a0Battlestar Galactica <\/em><\/p>\n

She’d probably fare even better in the ring if she wasn’t carrying around so much baggage about her opponent.<\/p>\n

Cycling<\/h2>\n

\"tumblr_oap1tcLAk01tmh2wfo1_400\"<\/p>\n

The kids\u00a0from\u00a0<\/strong>Stranger Things<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

Especially if 011\u00a0is helping out from the stands.<\/p>\n

Diving<\/h2>\n

\"4465df60-9459-0132-4429-0ebc4eccb42f\"<\/p>\n

Finnick Odair<\/strong>, The Hunger Games<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s not really a stretch to imagine that the golden boy of the fishing district would also know his way around a diving board.<\/p>\n

\"tumblr_mdikmkbu7q1qem3l9o7_250\"<\/p>\n

Faith Lehane<\/strong>, Buffy the Vampire Slayer\/Angel<\/em><\/p>\n

She dives so much on land, just imagine what she can do in water.<\/p>\n

Equestrian<\/h2>\n

\"tumblr_nxuacaFewP1smlaa6o1_500\"<\/p>\n

Atreyu<\/strong>, The Neverending Story<\/em><\/p>\n

As long as he avoids the Swamp of Sadness, he should be fine.<\/p>\n

\"tumblr_niuig0GmAe1rlumxjo3_500\"<\/p>\n

\u00c9omir<\/strong>, Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/p>\n

Literally born for this event.<\/p>\n

Fencing<\/h2>\n

\"sword-gif\"<\/p>\n

Inigo Montoya<\/strong>,\u00a0The Princess Bride <\/em><\/p>\n

Olympic gold is just as worthy a quest as vengeance, right?<\/p>\n

\"Will-Turner-and-Jack-Sparrow-swordfight-in-Pirates-of-the-Caribbean\"<\/p>\n

Will Turner<\/strong>,\u00a0Pirates of the Caribbean\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Maybe one of the few athletes on Team Fandom who actually practices.<\/p>\n

\"giphy<\/p>\n

Zorro<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can you even slice a Z into a fencing jacket?<\/p>\n

\"6360014256782920561555941847_giphy\"<\/p>\n

The Bride<\/strong>,\u00a0Kill Bill\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Turns out there aren’t a plethora of female fencers in fandom, but surely The Bride’s skills with her katana\u00a0wouldn’t be too hard to nudge in a slightly different direction.<\/p>\n

\"tumblr_inline_mk8ucqRr2u1ri4o7p\"<\/p>\n

Michonne<\/strong>, The Walking Dead<\/em><\/p>\n

Considering that Michonne is entirely self-taught with her katana, just imagine what she could do with some coaching and a saber.<\/p>\n

Gymnastics<\/h2>\n

Men’s Team:<\/h3>\n

\"sockchuks\"<\/p>\n

Dick Grayson\/Robin<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

Acrobat + superhero is probably about as close as fandom gets to gymnastics.<\/p>\n

\"legolas-jumping-horse\"<\/p>\n

Legolas<\/strong>, Lord of the Rings<\/em><\/p>\n

We never saw the Prince of Mirkwood do the splits, but I’m pretty sure he can.<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Simon Bellamy<\/strong>,\u00a0Misfits\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Parkour is kind of like tumbling, right?<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Peter Parker\/Spider-Man<\/strong>, Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

Just imagine what he could accomplish with rings instead of webbing.<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Kurt Wagner\/Nightcrawler<\/strong>, Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

Another superhero + acrobat,\u00a0with superpowers<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Women’s Team:<\/h3>\n

\"tumblr_m7ko4bVFak1rsy50k\"<\/p>\n

Natasha Romanoff\/Black Widow<\/strong>, Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

The ballet training will probably come in handy too.<\/p>\n

\"Jennifer-Lawrence-Mystique-fight-scene-1442263217\"<\/p>\n

Mystique<\/strong>, Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

For all we know, Mystique has already competed in the Olympics and we just haven’t found out yet.<\/p>\n

\"MargotHang.nocrop.w529.h235.2x\"<\/p>\n

Harley Quinn<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

Anyone who’s watched\u00a0Batman: The Animated Series\u00a0<\/em>knows Harley could handle\u00a0an Olympic gymnastics routine in her sleep.<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

River Tam<\/strong>,\u00a0Firefly <\/em><\/p>\n

Just need to learn her trigger word for gymnastics.<\/p>\n

\"5523714147f33\"<\/p>\n

Selena Kyle\/Catwoman<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

Cats always stick the landing, right?<\/p>\n

Rhythmic Gymnastics<\/h2>\n

\"wonder-woman-trailer-breakdown-badass-takes-a-human-form-1069874\"<\/p>\n

Diana Prince\/Wonder Woman<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

Uniquely qualified for\u00a0both the rope and the ribbon.<\/p>\n

Judo<\/h2>\n

\"giphy<\/p>\n

Barbara Gordon\/Batgirl<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

Prior to becoming Batgirl, Barbara earned her black belt in judo.<\/p>\n

\"tumblr_lwc8mnksLE1qdiex4\"<\/p>\n

Sydney Bristow<\/strong>,\u00a0Alias <\/em><\/p>\n

Honestly, there is no form of combat where Sydney Bristow feels unqualified.<\/p>\n

\"giphy<\/p>\n

Neo<\/strong>,\u00a0The Matrix <\/em><\/p>\n

Now downloading judo subroutine.<\/p>\n

Rowing<\/h2>\n

\"gendry1\"<\/p>\n

Gendry<\/strong>,\u00a0Game of Thrones <\/em><\/p>\n

Is there a medal for “longest amount of time spent rowing,” because it’s been like three seasons.<\/p>\n

Sailing<\/h2>\n

\"giphy<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Swann<\/strong>,\u00a0Pirates of the Caribbean <\/em><\/p>\n

The best thing about Olympic medals is how they’re probably not cursed.<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Jack Sparrow<\/strong>,\u00a0Pirates of the Caribbean <\/em><\/p>\n

Perhaps the worst Olympian you’ve ever heard of, but you\u00a0have\u00a0<\/em>heard of him.<\/p>\n

Shooting<\/h2>\n

\"Idris-Elba-Dark-Tower-Set-07112016-Thumb-620x413\"<\/p>\n

Roland Deschain<\/strong>,\u00a0The Dark Tower <\/em><\/p>\n

Being the last gunslinger means he automatically gets the gold, right?<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Frank Castle\/Punisher<\/strong>,\u00a0Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

The best part of Frank Castle’s participation in the Olympics\u00a0is every part.<\/p>\n

\"Deadshot-suicide-squad-38760204-500-210\"<\/p>\n

Floyd Lawton\/Deadshot<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

He. Never. Misses.<\/p>\n

Swimming<\/h2>\n

\"tumblr_m90amhTMR31qb6vb1o1_500\"<\/p>\n

Percy Jackson<\/strong>,\u00a0Percy Jackson and the Olympians <\/em><\/p>\n

Michael Phelps may be part dolphin, but he’s got nothing on the son of Poseidon.<\/p>\n

\"w78ft6bna7bx\"<\/p>\n

Arthur Curry\/Aquaman<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

He may not make great time, but one butterfly stroke from Aquaman would probably\u00a0send every other competitor flying out of the pool in a massive wave.<\/p>\n

Taekwondo<\/h2>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Buffy Summers<\/strong>,\u00a0Buffy the Vampire Slayer <\/em><\/p>\n

Not sure exactly which discipline vampire slaying falls under, but surely taekwondo isn’t that far off.<\/p>\n

\"giphy<\/p>\n

Worf<\/strong>,\u00a0Star Trek: The Next Generation\/Deep Space Nine <\/em><\/p>\n

But are the Olympics more or less of a challenge than Level 2 in Klingon calisthenics?<\/p>\n

Track and Field<\/h2>\n

All racing events:<\/h3>\n

\"tumblr_ndv0jf6zyn1rm8kcso1_500\"<\/p>\n

Barry Allen\/The Flash<\/strong>, DC Comics<\/p>\n

Okay this is probably not fair.<\/p>\n

\"E5KrOi\"<\/p>\n

Pietro Maximoff\/Quicksilver<\/strong>, Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

Yeah… this is definitely not fair.<\/p>\n

Long jump:<\/h3>\n

\"giphy<\/p>\n

Jareth the Goblin King<\/strong>, Labyrinth <\/em><\/p>\n

The real question is\u00a0would he change out those pants\u00a0for a regulation uniform.<\/p>\n

Literally every single event:<\/h3>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop\"winter-soldier-frisbee-shield\"\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Steve Rogers\/Captain America & Bucky Barnes\/Winter Solider<\/strong>, Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

We’re just going to assume that super soldier serum is not considered a performance enhancing drug.<\/p>\n

Weightlifting<\/h2>\n

\"the-avengers-angry-hulk-smash-loki\"<\/p>\n

Bruce Banner\/Hulk<\/strong>, Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

Now just imagine if he used\u00a0both\u00a0<\/em>hands.<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Drax, <\/strong>Marvel Comics<\/p>\n

…how much would you say that guy weighs?<\/p>\n

Wrestling<\/h2>\n

\"giphy<\/p>\n

Bjorn Ironside<\/strong>,\u00a0Vikings <\/em><\/p>\n

Not much can intimidate a Viking, especially one who has taken out larger men and\u00a0much\u00a0<\/em>larger bears.<\/p>\n

\"ezgif.com-crop<\/p>\n

Fezzik<\/strong>,\u00a0The Princess Bride \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

shrug<\/em>\u00a0He doesn’t even exercise.<\/p>\n

Which characters would you like to see compete in the Summer Olympics? Can you put together a beach volleyball team, or find the perfect competitors for the triathlon? Let us know your picks in the comments!<\/p>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re anything like us, you’ve spent the better part of the last two weeks glued to your TV as top athletes from around the world compete for gold, silver, and bronze in sports that we tend to forget exist most of the time, but care passionately about for two weeks every four years. No […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"In honor of #Rio2016, we're imagining fictional characters in the Summer Olympics!","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[475],"class_list":["post-2457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-character-study","tag-olympics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.avengingforce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/rio.jpg?fit=599%2C316","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4Vfwz-DD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2457"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2540,"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457\/revisions\/2540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.avengingforce.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}