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!”