"I propose we turn a selected athelete into an animal, and see if he or her can beat the human competitors." said Hermes "And for extra stakes, let's make their changes permenent if they don't win."
"And who will we select to be our champion?" asked Zeus "What form will they take?"
"I'm in a sporting mood, so I'll let our selected champion decide what they will become." said Hermes "After all, they will spend the rest of his life in that form. Now, who shall we pick?