With the Olympic Games beginning overnight, we have selected a handful of Saints who could travel and perform in Rio de Janiero. Some are obvious, some are not so blatant.

100m Sprint

Jack Steven’s high octane bursts from stoppages have left opponents clutching at thin air for years now. The dual Trevor Barker Award winner is one of the visually fastest players in the competition, with his little legs powering away like Road Runner. According to GPS data this year, Steven has hit a max velocity of 35 kph in games, as has Mav Weller, Shane Savage, Jack Newnes and new international rookie Ray Connellan also registered that speed at training.

In Brazil, Jamaican Usain Bolt – the Beijing and London Gold medallist – is the favourite in the 100m, ahead of American Justin Gatlin who has recorded five sub-10 second runs this year, including a season best of 9.80. Behind that duo is another Jamaican Yohan Blake who has run the equal second fasted time of all-time at 9.69.

 

Endurance – 3000m steeplechase

At the other end of the track spectrum, sits Jarryn Geary, Sean Dempster and Jack Newnes as the best aerobic runners at the Saints. Across the most recent pre-season, the trio set the speed in time-trials and in all the mid to long distance running. All three have run sub-10 minute 3km time-trials, which as far as AFL standards are concerned is in the elite echelon.

At the Olympics, the most appropriate event to compare to is the 3000m steeplechase. Australia didn’t have a qualifier but the raging favourite has had a stranglehold over the distance this year. Kenyan middle-distance star Conseslus Kipruto has run the top three times this year and five of the top six, including an 8:00.12. In a flat 3000m, Brit Mo Farah ran a 7:32.64 in June.

Walking

While Australia is well represented in the walks, with Jared Tallent the gold medallist in London, there is little doubt Jack Steven’s awkward gait would be well executed over the 20km edition. Although he may have trouble sustaining that waddle in the longer event and could be susceptible to being flagged out of the event.

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Weightlifting

In the gym at Linen House Centre, midfielder Tom Curren sets the pace with his all-round lifting ability. While the Saints don’t perform max reps on Olympic movements, the well-built 24-year-old, is the best pound-for-pound athlete in there. And while squats aren’t part of the Olympic repertoire, stalwart defender Sam Fisher has been known to push multiple repetitions of 200kg on the squat rack during his time at the Saints. Not bad for an old man.

Boxing

Former IBF middleweight champion and Saints boxing mentor, Sam Soliman, spent the summer working with the club, honing the skills of a handful of players who are more than handy with their hands. Tim Membrey, Jason Holmes and Mav Weller are three players who are renowned for their work in their ring, although the latter can struggle with his temperament at times according to a close source to saints.com.au.

 

Wrestling

St Kilda boasts a handful of options in this archaic Olympic event, but of all the options there are none better than David Armitage who has made a living out of tackling. Along with Jack Steven and Luke Dunstan, Armitage continues to set the tone with his pressure and his bone crushing tackles. He is averaging 5.8 per game this season – ranked No. 18 in the AFL.

Golf

Golf returns as an Olympic sport for the first time since St Louis in 1904, and without a doubt Sam Fisher would be the Saints best representative. Renowned for his work off the tee, the key defender’s short game has been shaky of late, although he blames that on the colder months.

 

Handball

In the sport which is lived in breath in the best looking part of the globe, Leigh Montagna is regarded as St Kilda’s best operator, owing to his Italian heritage, although his homeland has been poor of late with the dominance of the Scandinavians set to continue in Rio.

Gymnastics Floor Routine

When it comes to the prestigious gymnastics floor routine, there’d be no better exponent of this athletic pursuit than Jade Gresham; after all the young gun has made swivelling in and out of track a weekly habit of his.

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