Summary
The 2024 Paris Olympics continue to rage on, and the video game connections keep on coming.In the leadup to the Olympics, gamers mourned the first event without a Mario & Sonic tie-in video game. Then,the Opening Ceremony celebrated Ubisoft with an appearance from Assassin’s Creed Unity’s Arno parkouring around Paris.
Now, Olympian Pau Echaniz, a Spanish slalom canoeist, is gaining attention for being an avid League of Legends player and part-time streamer.Echaniz took home the Bronze medal during the 2024 Olympics for K-1 Slalom, and after bringing home his country a medal, immediately booted up his laptop to play League of Legends.
Pau Might Be The Most Relatable Olympian Ever
While many superstar athletes are rightfully focused on their training and competitions, Echaniz somehow manages to balance his schedule with hefty doses of League.He also streams occassionally on Twitch via his very appropriately named channel “pauerangerr.”
In an interview shared online, Echaniz revealed that his days typically begin at 9 a.m. when he wakes up. He eats breakfast, then sneaks in a few games of League before heading out to train in the afternoon. Echaniz went as far as to share that prior to the Olympic medaling event, he played two games of League. And for those wondering, he lost both of them.
In a hilarious bit of self-reflection, Echaniz lamented that he is a Bronze League of Legends player and a Bronze Olympic medalist. And prior to streaming League with his Bronze medal in tow,Echaniz jokingly posted on Twitter that he won’t get into a canoe until he reaches Gold.
At the end of the day, Olympians are humans, too, with genuine interests and fandoms well outside their sporting competitions. Elsewhere,U.S. Olympian Noah Lyles is an avid Yu-Gi-Oh! fan with a collection of cards he’s pulled out during events. And Olympic legend Usain Boltonce revealed that video games helped him in his track and field career.
Belive it or not, Olympians, they’re just like us.
