Rio Confidential: Olympians Ragan Smith and DeAndre Jordan meet, Sam Groth’s wake up call

WHAT happens when the tallest Olympic athletes meet the smallest? USA basketball star DeAndre Jordan and gymnast Ragan Smith found out.

DeAndre Jordan meets Ragan Smith.

WHAT happens when the tallest Olympic athletes meet the smallest?

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

There’s all shapes and sizes at an Olympic Games — a reality perfectly highlighted by this ridiculous selfie posted by US athlete Ragan Smith.

The artistic gymnast is just 15 years old and competing in her first Games — and she relished the opportunity to get up close and personal with NBA star DeAndre Jordan, who will anchor the middle for the men’s basketball team.

Ragan is just 137cm tall — a long way below the 2.11m Jordan. Her waist is about the same height as his knee, her head at his navel.

🇺🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/ivOZfJSiib

— Ragan Smith (@raganesmith2000) August 6, 2016

WAKE UP CALL

Tennis players John Millman and Sam Groth are mates, so Millman was delighted when Groth was a late addition to the Olympic team — up to a point, that is. Millman, who replaced wild-child Nick Kyrgios in the team, was enjoying the relative luxury of a room to himself at the athletes’ village when there was a knock on the door on Saturday morning and the 1.94m Groth squeezed with a broad smile and the words, “Hi roomie.”

Good to get the win today. Now in the Aussie Hub watching our Hockeyroos and Sharks play. #OneTeam pic.twitter.com/f3OHpYeQSo

— John Millman (@johnhmillman) August 7, 2016

BIKINIS, BEERS AND VOLLEYBALL

Sydney Olympic Games beach volleyball gold medallists Nat Cook and Kerri Pottharst were together again yesterday — at the sport’s spiritual home on Copacabana Beach to watch compatriots Taliqua Clancy and Louise Bawden win.

Pottharst is working for Channel 7 and asked the duo the first questions in the mixed zone afterwards while Cook is here in an official role as athlete support.

“My job is to put a smile on the athletes’ faces and fix any problem in front of them whether that’s uniforms, ticketing, sightseeing ...”

Fixed the toilets?

“No I can delegate the toilets! I’m not a very good plumber.”

The event got off to a rowdy start under a blazing sun, with bare chests and bikinis de rigueur and the beer flowing freely.

“Right now I miss being out there when the crowds are like this and you see the Olympic rings. if you could give me a uniform now and say go play I’d love to but they’d probably kill me.”

Australia's Mariafe Artacho Del Solar and Australia's Nicole Laird.

ALAN GOES TO RIO

He’s one of our biggest sports fans and wasn’t going to let anything stop him from enjoying the kick off to the biggest show on earth. A beaming radio king Alan Jones was spotted on the fourth floor of the broadcast tower looking very happy to be there, despite being confined to a wheelchair.

Originally published as Rio Confidential: Olympians Ragan Smith and DeAndre Jordan meet, Sam Groth’s wake up call