The Olympics have begun in Tokyo, and that means the world's best athletes are competing to win a medal in their sport. For some, this journey is all about strict training, but there are plenty who inject a bit of fun into their goal. And thanks to Dutch athlete Kiran Badloe, it seems Aang has been brought into the Tokyo Olympics.
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| Photo: Sailing Energy. |
The windsurfer hit up Instagram in light of the Summer Games getting underway, and it was there he paid tribute to Aang. Badloe says he hopes to ride the winds as masterfully as Aang does in Avatar: The Last Airbender, so there is only one thing he could do. Obviously, Badloe had to cut and dye his hair to mimic Aang's airbender tattoo.
"This haircut is a tribute to the one and only true wind master. The avatar, the last air bender known to be alive. I hope the spirit of this great warrior gives me the power to sail well this week and use the wind in my favor.One day I dream of become a master of the wind myself, a true air bender," Badloe wrote.
Over on Instagram, one of the co-creators of Avatar wished Badloe the best of the luck. Bryan Konietzko told the windsurfer to be the leaf, so we hope the Dutch athlete makes good on that advice!
Of course, Aang and the whole gang will be cheering this windsurfer on from afar. The group is busy these days thanks to a recent revival of the franchise. Not long ago, it was announced Nickelodeon has developed a studio specifically for Avatar content, and a animated movie is the first project on the table. And if Badloe is lucky, maybe he can make a special cameo in the upcoming flick!
What do you think of this athlete's Avatar haircut? Do you think Badloe could challenge Aang with their moves? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @DailyNickNews!
From Reuters:
Sailing-'Last Airbender' Badloe in control for final RS:X gold
ENOSHIMA, Japan, July 30 (Reuters) - A haircut that pays homage to a cartoon character has won Kiran Badloe almost as many fans as his windsurfing in Tokyo, and on Saturday the Dutchman is set to make history by winning the last Olympic gold medal in the RS:X class.
The 26-year-old has swept all before him in a windsurfing category that will be replaced at the 2024 Games in Paris by the IQ Foil, all with a blue arrow inspired by Aang, a character in TV cartoon series "Avatar: The Last Airbender", shaved into his otherwise blonde head.
"It's about a kid that controls the wind, and he needs to control all different kinds of elements of nature in order to do something great, and I'm doing the same here," Badloe told Reuters ahead of the medal race.
"I need to be in tune with the wind and in tune with the water and everything around, and hopefully that leads me to something great."
Badloe goes into Saturday's 10-man medal race with a 19-point lead over Thomas Goyard of France in second. That means Badloe could finish last and still win gold, with only a disqualification capable of stopping him.
The Dutchman said it was his ability to adapt that made him stand out from the rest at the Enoshima Yacht Harbour.
"I think I'm just all-round. In all of the conditions we had I was able to be up there. In the lighter stuff in the beginning, in the shifty offshore stuff we had, and then in the onshore stable breeze we had the last couple of days," he said.
"I was always close enough to the front to keep solid numbers, so I think the fact that I was all-round during the whole week is what put me in this position."
The gold medal will be the third in a row for the Netherlands, with Dorian van Rijsselberghe winning in 2012 and 2016 before losing out to Badloe in the qualification process for Tokyo.
"This is the highlight of my career so far," Badloe said. "I've won the last three world championships, but it's always something special about an Olympics, they happen once every four years."
Asked if his aerodynamic haircut had helped him in Tokyo, where he won five of the 10 opening races to leave him in a virtually unassailable gold medal position, Badloe smiled broadly.
"I have been able to piece something together in these Olympics races, so I think it worked in my favour," he said.
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Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra on Paramount+ and Netflix!
Listen to the brand new podcast, Avatar: Braving the Elements!: http://www.nickalive.net/search/label/Avatar%3A%20Braving%20the%20Elements
More Nick: Nickelodeon Establishes Avatar Studios; Announces Animated 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Movie!
Originally published: July 28, 2021.
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