May the fourth be with you: Olympians morph into Star Wars characters
The Force will awaken in these Canadians
Every year Star Wars fans eagerly wait for this day to roll around to celebrate the film franchise by wishing each other a greeting from a galaxy far, far away: "May the fourth be with you."
The unofficial holiday originates from a play on the phrase "May the Force be with you," which any true Star Wars fan would already know. In honour of the special day, take a look at which Canadian Olympic hopefuls we think best embody the Force of some of the most popular characters from the saga.
Mark Oldershaw — Han Solo
With an Olympic Games already under his belt, the sprint canoeist is now a grizzled veteran and a renegade much like another pilot we know… It's safe to assume Oldershaw can paddle the Kessel run in 12 parsecs.
Korey Jarvis — Chewbacca
The wrestler may not be quite as furry as Chewbacca but he is just as intimidating and will show off his incredible strength in Rio this summer. No one's going to want to mess with this guy.
Jasmine Mian — Princess Leia
The wrestler and princess have more in common than some might think. Jasmine and Leia are not only trained to battle but they never back down from a fight. Don't let their long, dark locks fool you — they mean business.
Crispin Duenas — Boba Fett
The archery world is no stranger to cult followings and neither is Boba Fett. Both Crispin and Boba wear armor (Mandalorian or otherwise) and can hit any target with ease, plus we're sure if Duenas wanted to he could find employment as a bounty hunter.
Darth Vader — Maxime Brinck-Croteau
They may use different sabres but the fencer's technique, much like Darth Vader's, is unmatched. Don't let your lack of faith be disturbing, Brinck-Crotreau will be rocking his infamous mask this summer as he represents his country at the Olympic Games.
Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan — C-3PO and R2D2
"The Odd Couple" of service droids, C3PO and R2-D2's height disparity is the most overt similarity between the Star Wars characters and Canada's Rio-bound beach volleyball team. But there's more to it than meets the eye — both pairs are inseparable duos who complement each other perfectly.
And, yes, these are the droids you're looking for.
Derek Drouin — Luke Skywalker
Both Drouin and Skywalker are small-town boys who need the support of little bears (or Ewoks) to achieve their ultimate goals. We know we're force-ing it but Derek does say his closest thing to a good luck charm is the Teddy Grahams he keeps in his bag, so you can't blame us for trying.
Happy Star Wars Day everyone, and may the Force be with you all.
May the 4th be with you from me and all the Star Wars characters I do!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/maythe4thbew?src=hash">#maythe4thbew</a>... (Vine by <a href="https://twitter.com/CostaJames">@CostaJames</a>) <a href="https://t.co/YxH4sd1vnY">https://t.co/YxH4sd1vnY</a>
—@civilwarseanWhich Canadian Olympian most embodies your favourite Star Wars character? Let us know in the comments and follow @CBCSports on Twitter for all your sports news, updates and video.