Eddie the Eagle, Jamaican Bobsled, Eric the Eel

Who will carry on the torch at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver as being the lovable, not coached, untrained, underdog? Here are the past ‘athletes’ who won our hearts:

Eddie the Eagle

Edwards, the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping, had no sponsorship support and self-funded his controversial Olympic bid. He weighed nine kilograms more than the next heaviest competitor, and had to wear spectacles to overcome his shortsightedness that fogged to the extent he could not see what danger lay ahead of him.

Eddie Edwards Speaks to his Olympic Experience

Jamaican Bobsled Team – and their “cool runnings”

Rent the darn movie!

Eric the Eel

Eric Moussambani, a guy who apparently only took up swimming a year before the olympics. He is swimming in a heat, the other two guys were disqualified for false start. Equatorial Guinea won a wild card draw, meant to encourage swimming in developing countries. He finished the heat without drowning.