Is there an athlete with cult status at these Olympic Games?

Question

In the past, we've had Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, who came nowhere in the ski jump, but got more coverage than the gold medal winner.

The Jamaican Bobsled team was another.

In Sydney, we had Eric the Eel. A swimmer who was lucky to make 100 Metres and had never seen a pool until he arrived in Sydney.

So has there been any cult athletes, amongst them all? One that has no chance of winning anything, but gets the crowds going.

I've yet to hear of one.

Answer 1

The Chinese team has a Track star who was injured, so won't win anything, but is still a national icon.