The BBC has a Pronunciation Unit which researches the correct way to say places or people with unusual names. As sophisticated as this sounds, it is basically BBC researchers ringing up the person or an embassy and asking how do you say these names. That is how German footballer Stefan Kuntz was pronounced Koontz on the BBC and not how the rest of us pronounced it.
The Unit entered meltdown when the Olympics started and television presenters were faced with wrapping their tongues around names such as the Thai weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakon but that is one of the best parts of the Olympics, we don't have to rely on German footballers with humorous names to bring out the 10-year-old in all of us because there are some great names strutting their stuff in Beijing.
First up are the aptly named Ghanese Boxer Prince Octopus, USA woman's goalkeeper Hope Solo and Canadian baseball player Stubby Clapp which sounds like something you would need ointment from a clinic to clear up.
Hopefully the parents of athlete Destinee Hooker were not trying to predict a future career path for their daughter and i thank the folks of synchronised swimmer Gisela Moron and Polish handball player Adam Weiner for not having the good sense to change names and deprive me of a cheap laugh. Same goes to ma and pa Thongsuk, parents of weightlifter Sureerat Thongsuk but as usual it is the genitalia related monikers that cause the most schoolgirl sniggering.
Step forward Micaela Cocks, Daisy Dick, Stephen Dick, Curtis Kock, Melanie Kok, Ahmet Peker and Rafael Pennisi. Japanese volleyballer Yoshie Takeshita deserves a special mention as does bronze medal winning Dong Dong from Chinas Trampoline team who won bronze so maybe his parents knew he was going to be so good, they named him twice.
1 comment:
Never forget that most famous of Olympians, Mike Hunt, 72 Olympics
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