The name game: A few athletes primed for breakouts in '21

For some, the sky's the limit, which also just happens to be the title of the book written by 12-year-old British skateboarder Sky Brown.

For others, it’s no stretch that big things appear ahead. Exhibit A: 7-foot-2 Denver Nuggets center Bol Bol and his roughly 7-8 wingspan.

So many potential stars in the making. So many stages for them to shine. One of the biggest will be this summer during the Tokyo Games, which were postponed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By the time 2021 ends, a new crop of names will start to become even more familiar. So let's name-drop a few (sorry, Trevor Lawrence, you’re already too big of a name for this list):

— Brown, a skateboarding prodigy who has her sights locked on the Tokyo Games. She turns 13 a few weeks before the opening ceremony as her sport makes its Olympic debut (along with sport climbing, karate and surfing). Brown already has a doll made in her image and sponsors such as Nike. In June, she posted a video on Instagram (770,000-plus followers) of a frightful crash during a training session.

-- Bol, forward/center, Nuggets. The son of the late Manute Bol, Bol Bol showed glimpses of his versatility inside the NBA bubble over the summer. He remains eligible for the rookie of the year award, with the favorites being Charlotte's LaMelo Ball (No. 3 pick overall) New York's Obi Toppin (No. 8) and Minnesota's Anthony Edwards (No. 1).

— Iga Swiatek, tennis, Poland. The 19-year-old who listens to Guns N’ Roses before matches captured Poland’s first Grand Slam singles title when she won the French Open in October. Swiatek had never won a tour-level title until Roland Garros.

— Stephanie Gilmore, surfer, Australia. Nicknamed “Happy Gilmore,” the seven-time world champion is well known on the surfing circuit....

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/The-name-game-A-few-athletes-primed-for-15836597.php