LOS ANGELES, Aug 21 — Several writers behind The Daily Show with Trevor Noah took the opportunity to share who their Olympic heroes are, and it was populated by top athletes and those who has demonstrated incredible bravery against the odds.

Writer Hallie Haglund named US gymnast Kerri Strug as her favourite Olympian as the athlete bravely fought against pain after injuring her ankle in her first vault to complete a second vault that clinched the Olympic gold for the US team in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

While Haglund said Strug landed the vault on a broken foot, Strug actually tore two ligaments in her ankle. However, the gymnast managed to land on both feet and saluted the judges before she collapsed and had to be carried to the podium by her coach Bela Karolyi.

‘Daily Show’ writer Joe Opio names Eric Moussambani, nicknamed ‘Eric the Eel’, from Equatorial Guinea as his favourite Olympian. — Picture via YouTube/The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Other writers such as Zach Dilanzo and Matt Koff named the US basketball Dream Team and Michael Phelps respectively as their favourite Olympians, but one writer, Joe Opio, picked a surprising choice: swimmer Eric Moussambani from Equatorial Guinea, nicknamed Eric the Eel, who participated men’s 100m freestyle in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The video re-enacted Eric the Eel’s Olympic journey with an actor that is noticeably heavier than the actual athlete. While the video may have made the tale sound farcical (almost), it is actually based in facts, with some artistic licence thrown in.

Eric the Eel was one of the wild card entries that the International Olympic Committee gives out to developing countries in order to encourage participation in the Olympics.

He had to battle unimaginable odds as Equatorial Guinea did not have a 50-metre swimming pool, so he had to practise in a lake and a small 13-metre pool at a hotel, and only saw his first full-sized Olympic swimming pool when he arrived at the Olympic Village in Sydney.

Without a proper coach and only eight months to prepare, he faced off against two other athletes who were disqualified after a false start, making him the only competitor in that heat.

Swimming alone, Moussambani reached the end of the first lap and turned around to start the second lap, but his inexperience and lack of training saw him struggling in the middle of the lap.

Opio commented, "The crowd, which had laughed when he was struggling initially, realised this was a true Olympic moment. This was an underdog that was struggling for his life in the swimming pool, right before their own disbelieving eyes, so they turned (and) cheered him on.”

He won the heat unopposed, with a record 1:52:72, the slowest time in Olympic history in the men’s 100m freestyle category. His time was double that of most swimmers for that category, and slower than the men’s 200m world record.

However, Eric the Eel beat his personal best and set a new record for Equatorial Guinea, and his story of grit and determination in the face of his struggles made him a hit at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Despite his newly-discovered star status and after lowering his personal best to 57 seconds, he was unable to participate in the 2004 Athens Olympics due to a visa issue. He now coaches the national swimming squad in Equatorial Guinea.

Opio has the last word on Eric the Eel’s Olympic legend, saying, "For me, that’s what makes him a true Olympic legend. He made us realise that it’s not the winning that matters, it’s the not drowning that matters.”