Stany Kempompo Ngangola

Stany Kempompo Ngangola, born January 8, 1974, is a swimmer and electrical engineer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He represented his country at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Due to a misprint in his personal best time, he was rumoured by the international media to be a potential success to "Eric the Eel" - a spectacular underperformer. He was prematurely nicknamed "Stany the Snail", until he actually swam and the media conceded that he "wasn't too bad". [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/14/olympicsaquatics.olympics2008 "Olympics: Stany was no Snail, much to our disappointment"] , "The Guardian", August 14, 2008] Kempompo finished last in the 50 metre freestyle event, with a time of 35.19.

Stuff.co.nz reported [ [http://www.stuff.co.nz/4657203a27895.html "Stany wins by coming last"] , Stuff.co.nz] ::"Wandering off the pool deck Stany ran smack into his 15 minutes of fame and a rabid international press contingent ready for a good news story.":"Stany, Stany" they yelled his name. They knew him, they wanted him. He looked a little bewildered. He stopped. And then he spoke, long and with great thought. On and on, and on and on. And all in French. There was a French to Chinese translator there but she spoke no English. A pack of 20 reporters from all over the world grew restive, then annoyed, then furiously affronted.":"Did you train with Eric the Eel?" they shouted. "Are you proud of your performance?" Still he talked on mysteriously."

He was also nicknamed "Stany the Stingray" in the Danish, Argentinian, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian press. [ [http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/ol/ol-svoemning/article1044538.ece "Mød Stany the Stingray"] , Ekstra Bladet, August 15, 2008] [ [http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1039890 "En Sydney fue Mussambani; en Pekín, el congoleño Ngangola"] , "La Nacion", August 15, 2008] [ [http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=a9660bee-6b7e-4bf0-b985-d70a5f5153bf "Move over Eddie the Eagle and éric the Eel"] , "The Gazette", August 15, 2008] [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/swimming/stany-the-stingray/2008/08/13/1218307003128.html "Stany the stingray"] , "Sydney Morning Herald", August 14, 2008] [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/aquatics/the-snail-takes-up-where-the-eel-left-off-897425.html "'The Snail' takes up where 'The Eel' left off"] , "The Independent", August 15, 2008]

External link

* [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/246966.shtml Biography] on the official website of the Beijing Olympics

Notes