better know an olympian

Better Know an Olympian: Holley Mangold

Holley Mangold of the US Olympic Weightlifting team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas.
Do not mess with Holley Mangold.

The Olympics begin in two days, and you will spend a fortnight obsessing over athletes and sports you won’t think about again for another four years. (If then.) To prepare you for the big games o’ London, we’re showcasing a different athlete every weekday until they begin. Today: Holley Mangold.

Name: Holley Mangold
Nationality: USA
Sport:
Weightlifting

Previous Olympic experience: None.

You might know her from: She was on an episode of MTV’s True Life. She played high-school football. She’s been a badass for years. And she’s the sister of Jets center Nick Mangold. She’s everywhere.

Most embarrassing public moment: Holley Mangold has never done anything embarrassing in her life because she is perfect and great and fantastic and please do not hit us Holley we think you are great please do not hit us.

Most proud public moment: Making the Olympic team four years ahead of schedule, in a sport she just picked up recently. We love her quote

“If you lift the weight perfectly, with your back tight, pushing off the floor like you’re pushing through the floor with the bar close to your body, bringing your hips in with a force of unbelievable-ness and plant into the weight, controlling it upward, not outward — it creates this beautiful, wonderful, weightless feeling. No matter what the weight is on the bar, it will feel weightless if you do it right.”

What to expect from her this year: She’s so new to the sport that it’s difficult to imagine her medalling already … but honestly, we’re sort of expecting her to be on the Jets in a couple years: Put nothing past this woman.

Odds that you’ll remember her name in four years: We bet she ends up far, far more famous than her brother. If she isn’t already.

Previously:
Usain Bolt
Lia Neal

Michael Phelps
Oscar Pistorius
Paula Radcliffe
Kim Rhode
Jordyn Wieber

Better Know an Olympian: Holley Mangold