Who is the most popular person at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia? Some are saying it's the captain of the first team on the US Men's Olympic hockey team schedule, Slovakia's Zdeno Chara, who meets the Americans on Wednesday morning at 7:30 am.
A star defenseman, Chara has also been the star of several Twitter photos from Sochi, according to NESN. Standing at 6' 9", Chara dwarfs many of the athletes at the games. No where is this more evident than with figure skaters, like Canadian pairs skater Kristen Moore-Towers, who at 4'11", gives up nearly two feet of height to Chara in a picture she posted to Twitter.
German hockey player Monica Bittner described her photo with Chara as "unreal". Even the beds aren't big enough for Chara in Sochi, as another bed had to be added to his Olympic Village quarters to hold his tall frame. Not only captain of the Slovakian Olympic hockey team, Chara also carried the flag for the Slovakian delegation, where his impressive height was again on display for the world.
While many Olympians are just getting to know Chara, several members of the US Olympic hockey team have already met him on the ice. Chara is a starting defensemen on the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins, where he has played against many of the starters on the US Olympic hockey team.
Chara will have the task of stopping the American's front line, which will include the Toronto Maple Leafs' Phil Kessel, the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane and the Minnesota Wild's Zach Parise. It's predicted to be a close game, according to Bleacher Report, which forecasted a narrow, overtime victory for the US Olympic hockey team over the Slovakian team.
The excitement is just getting started for the US Men's Olympic hockey team. The American's next game after Slovakia will be against the home favorites and classic rival of the Russian Men's Olympic hockey team, scheduled for Sat., Feb. 15 at 7:30 am.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
