Anna Daniels
Sports and pop culture are always colliding in one way or another. After all, the two exist on similar planes that bring entertainment to the masses in similar ways. Inevitably, this creates some interesting discussions that toe the line between discourse and fan fiction as athletes show superhuman abilities to entertain us. This was recently the case when fans on the internet began to theorize that one particular Marvel superhero was perfect for an Olympic event.
Thor’s hammer
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One doesn’t necessarily have to go to the theaters or read comics to know who Thor is. The son of Odin, the marvel incarnation takes him to a far off planet where he often finds himself in battles both in outer space and abroad. By his side at every battle, however, is his trusty hammer, Mjolnir. This made Spencer Coriaty of ScreenRant theorize about Thor’s potential at an obscure Olympic event.
Mjolnir was forged for Thor’s hands. He can throw it at lightning speeds and pound it to the ground so hard that it causes a bomb-like impact. When he doesn’t have his hammer in hand, he simply needs to reach out and await as Mjolnir flies through the air and eventually makes its way into his hand. Throughout the comics and movies, Thor has been seen throwing the hammer with the ease of a quarterback tossing a hail Mary pass.
What is the hammer throw?
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Given the fact that Thor’s origins date back to ancient Norse beliefs, it might not be a coincidence that this type of activity has been around for several hundred if not several thousand years. It involves throwing a “hammer” with a 16-pound ball attached to it the furthest distance that one could throw it. Even the most muscular competitors would have a hard time competing with the god of thunder, however.
Hammer throwing is all about momentum, The participants wind up and throw it as far as they humanly can. The current record holder, Sergey Litvinov, threw the hammer 84.8 meters at the 1988 Olympics. While there are several questions regarding the legitimacy of Litvinov’s feat thanks to rampant doping inside the sport and throughout the Soviet team, it puts things into perspective.
Those who have seen any of Thor’s movies know that he can throw the ball a great length without so much as a wind-up. With this in mind, the thought of Thor throwing it using everything that hammer throwers have at their disposal is a humorous one, as he could likely throw it hundreds, even thousands of meters.
Olympians and superheroes
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Obviously, this entire discussion is for fun. However, in a world where people are increasingly obsessed with superheroes, professional athletes and Olympians are the closest many of us see to superheroes around us. Shaquille O’Neal, who competed for Team USA in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, famously likened himself to Superman throughout his career, and Michael Phelps was constantly compared to Aquaman during his swimming career.
A new batch of athletes is taking this trend to heart. In 2019, British diver Jack Laugher posted a hilarious video of his diving team entering the picture as the Avengers might in a movie.
Simone Biles, who took over the international competition with her domination of the gymnastic events, was given her own superhero tribute in 2016 following her superhuman feats out on the mat. Jazmin Truesdale, who burst onto the scene thanks to her diverse comics, explained why she paid this tribute to Biles.
“I’ve been following her progress for the past three years, since her superstar moment in 2013, and I was talking to my illustrator and I said, “I really want to do something because I don’t think we’ll ever see a gymnast like her ever again. I can’t imagine it,” Truesdale explained.
Athletes may seem superhuman thanks to their prowess, but even they are smitten by the world of superheroes. While people are going to have to wait another year to watch Olympians in action, fun conversations like this can help pass time in a sportsless world.
Written by: Cheat
