A chat with the Victor who makes us swoon.
by Monica Corcoran Harel of Capitol Couture
Finnick Odair can’t recall how he learned to swim. Or the very first time he crawled on the sandy beaches of his native Career District 4, known for its bountiful fishing industry. In fact, Odair—the only man in the Capitol who can wield a trident both lethally and casually—looks like he may have emerged from the sea as an infant, glistening and gorgeous. But the golden boy certainly grew up fast when he was reaped for the 65th Hunger Games at the age of 14. (Of course, he won.) And nearly a decade later, lucky Odair seems like he hasn’t aged a day.
For the Adonis, who’s known for tying intricate knots and tossing a spear with laser-like accuracy, there can be no distractions. The Games require new skills and the Capitol is watching him closely. (We caught up with Odair just before the start of the Quarter Quell and he was deep in training.) Victors, unlike tributes, already understand the mental and physical duress that awaits them. Odair couldn’t discuss his strategy, of course. “I can’t talk about my private life either,” he said with a blinding smile. Is there a tell-all book in the works?
Here’s what we do know about the evasive Odair: First of all, his impossibly green eyes—like emeralds winking in the sunlight—are real. His tousled beach waves, too, are all natural too. He may be the only Victor barely groomed by a prep team. But his looks are second to his storied physical acuity and loyalty. And this year’s Games, set seaside, seem tailored to his strengths.
On the topic of seducing Katniss or Johanna as a ploy for triumph, Odair merely laughed. The serial flirt has been known to leave a trail of crushes in his golden wake. We also know that he has an appreciation for older women, as his former mentor and fellow Quarter Quell Victor Mags is by his side right now in the Cornucopia. With the Games ongoing, we wish District 4’s best hope control and conquest.