Name: James Magnussen
Country: Australia
Sport: Swimming
Age: 21
Why He’s a Gold Medal Hottie: Because he says so. “The Missile” – a nickname Magnussen earned because of his astonishing backend speed – is convinced that even if he performs at 90% of his ability, he’ll be in good shape. “The title of ‘fastest man in history’ is what I’m chasing, and to get that along with Olympic Gold will be a bonus,” he says. This title doesn’t seem too evasive for the 6’5″swimmer, who already has five international medals to his name–not to mention that with a record time of 47.63 seconds, he became the first Australian man to win the 100-meter freestyle at the World Championships in Shanghai last year. But gaining the gold isn’t the only thing that Magnussen is anticipating: he’s also looking forward to tattooing “I.VIII.MMXII” across his chest after his big win.
