Zelda at the Olympics

A few days ago I mused about what video game sports would make successful real-world Olympic events. It was a fun experiment, but in all seriousness video games have actually made a few very real appearances in London at the Olympics. These include a gymnastics routine set to video game music, employees of a high-profile gaming company competing in the Games, and a homegrown British judo athlete who owes it all to, you guessed it, a Pokémon.



Medal Gold Solid

Say hello to Kohei Uchimura. For those unfamiliar with the name, Uchimura is the gold medal winner in the men's individual all-around gymnastics -- pummel horse, vault, high bar, rings, parallel bars, and floor routine. He's also a Konami employee. Konami is the video game company behind hit franchises like Castlevania, Dance Dance Revolution, and Metal Gear Solid. A total of three Konami employees represented Japan in gymnastics for the 2012 London Olympics: Koji Yamamuro, Yusuke Tanaka, and, of course, Kohei Uchimura.

I apologize for the music.

The Legend of Elsa

Mexican gymnast Elsa Garcia Rodriguez Blanca won the hearts of nerds all over the world when she completed her floor routine to a Legend of Zelda medley. Written, arranged, and performed by Lindsey Stirling, the medley features music from several Zelda games. Blanca ended up finishing 35th, but she definitely won the hearts of many video game fans in the process.

Video for the routine can be viewed here:

The original medley is below.

Pokemon Trainer

Believe it or not, British judo athlete Ashley McKenzie first got into judo after losing badly in a fight at age 11. The cause of the fight? A prized Pokemon playing card. Charizard to be exact. When another youngster stole the card, young McKenzie attacked. But the pint-sized thief kept throwing McKenzie over his shoulder. Confused, he went home and discovered, via the internet, that he had been beaten by a judo move. Eager to learn more, he visited a local club and found his former attacker there, along with his Pokemon card. "We spoke, we're friends, I started judo. Obviously I got my Pokemon card back."

McKenzie, front row, second from right.

Unfortunately for team Great Britain, McKenzie lost in the first round to eventual silver medalist Hiroaki Hiraoka.