Paris kicked off the 2024 Summer Olympics this year on 26 July, and since then, many netizens have been captivated by various athletes for a range of reasons. In addition to their remarkable sports performances, some of these athletes have gone viral online for reasons beyond their skills.
Contents
Dubbed the “Turkish Dad” by many netizens, Yusuf Dikec represents Turkey in air pistol shooting. Alongside his partner Tarhan Sevval Ilayda, Yusuf secured a silver medal for Turkey in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed team event.
Medal aside, viewers were more impressed by his effortless performance during the event, acting as if it was “just a random Tuesday” for him. While most air pistol shooters use specialised lenses, eye covers and ear protection while shooting to ensure optimal results, Dikec needed none of those. He showed up to the arena with a pair of regular old glasses, shot his shot, and clinched a silver medal. Guess the Olympics was just like a carnival game to him.
Another shooter who has shot their way into our hearts is Kim Yeji, representing the Republic of Korea in air pistol shooting as well. Kim won a silver medal in the 10m Air Pistol Women event, and sports fans went crazy for her charismatic presence in the arena.
Her iconic look constitutes an all-black outfit, and a pair of unique glasses equipped with a mechanical iris, lens, and blinders. A clip of her from the International Shooting Sports Federation event started resurfacing on the internet soon after, and the aura that she gave off had viewers obsessed.
Despite her intimidating appearance, Kim’s love for her daughter is evident as she competes while carrying her plush elephant. The “Main Character” energy she exudes in the arena, juxtaposed with the motherly affection makes her the ultimate girl crush.
The 2024 Paris Olympics marked a spectacular comeback for Simone Biles following the challenges she faced during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Representing the USA in Artistic Gymnastics, Simone had endured several mishaps during her events at the previous Olympics. She also battled with her mental health because of the immense pressure placed on her, and the death of her aunt. Many deemed Simone as a “quitter” because of these incidents.
However, Simone returned stronger than ever in Paris, bringing home a whopping 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal. She is now the third most decorated female Olympic Gymnast, solidifying her status as the GOAT in gymnastics today.
Her impressive routines and presence wowed many, and sports fans are thrilled to see her redeem herself in Paris. Despite standing at just 142cm, Simone is able to jump a whole 3.6m above the ground. I wouldn’t call that jumping at this point, she is just flying!
Simone took to Instagram to proclaim that her achievement this time was “more than her wildest dreams”, but she is also glad that all the events are over.
Nicknamed the “Clark Kent of Pommel Horse”, Stephen Nedoroscik may seem like any other dude with his glasses on, but once he takes them off, he goes full-on Superman mode on the pommel horse. Stephen helped the USA Men’s Gymnastics Team break their 16-year Olympic medal drought by clinching a bronze medal in the pommel horse event this year in Paris.
Diagnosed with coloboma and strabismus, Stephen was born with a hole in one of the structures of his eyes, and with misaligned eyes. The Clark Kent transformation would have to happen if does not want his glasses to fall off midway through his pommel horse routine, but this also means that he does the entire routine with blurred vision. This definitely did not stop him from securing a spot on that Olympic podium this time!
Previously the youngest medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, diver Quan Hongchan continued her success this year in Paris, and brought home 2 gold medals. That’s 3 Olympic gold medals at the early age of 17.
Renowned for her ability to dive into the pool with minimal splash, Chinese Fans have referred to her iconic skill as the “water splash disappearance technique”. Hongchan is also recognised for scoring straight 10s during her dives. During her individual event in Paris, she scored a perfect 10 in her first dive in the Women’s 10m platform event, and went on to win the gold medal.
On top of that, during the Women’s Synchronised 10m Platform Dive event, Hongchan and her partner, Chen Yu Xi, continued to astonish spectators when they executed their dive in perfect synchrony. Well, I don’t know about you but they get a 10 out of 10 from me too.
I would ask “Do you know the muffin man?” but you guys probably have seen him obsess over the chocolate muffins served at the Olympic dining hall all over your social media feeds.
Henrik Christiansen is a Norwegian swimmer who took to his TikTok account to review the food at the Olympic dining hall throughout the games. Although Henrik gave the other dishes average ratings, he rated the chocolate muffin an 11/10. He then posted more humorous TikTok videos to express his love for the muffin, and that inspired more and more athletes to share their reviews on the muffin as well. Viewers at home felt FOMO and started to bake their own chocolate muffins, contributing to the trend.
Aside from his muffin shenanigans, Henrik is also known for his performance at the Norwegian Short Course Championships. At the event, he broke not one, not two, but four national records!
Although Richardson was expected to be the fastest woman in 2024, she unfortunately fell short of that Olympic gold medal due to a bad start in her 100m race. The track and field star took home a silver medal for the USA instead, and that let’s just say that medal was not the only bling she had on her on that podium. Everyone take a look at her nails!
Known for her iconic manicures and bright hair colours, Richardson showed up to the 2024 Paris Olympics with a shiny USA-themed manicure covered with rhinestones, charms and detailed nail art. If you thought that was all, you’re in for a treat because she showed up to her next race with a whole new set of nails. Someone get us her nail tech’s contact details because how do those nails last amidst all that sprinting?
Marin was the gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and she has a shiny track record of coming in as champion in badminton world championships. However, her run at the Paris Olympics was cut short when she suffered a serious knee injury during her semi-final match against He.
Although Marin was dominating the match and seemed likely to advance to the finals, she collapsed midway through the second match. Marin eventually limped off the court, and He won by default. He eventually went on to win the silver medal in the finals and what she did on the podium awed sports fans around the world. In addition to comforting Marin on the courts previously, He held up a small Spanish flag while receiving her silver medal.
This display of sportsmanship by He was touching and gained many praises from the spectators and netizens.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics slowly draws to a close, it is clear that not only did these athletes display their remarkable talents and skills in their sports, but they also showcased their unique and unforgettable personalities.
From Kim Yeji to Stephen Nedoroscik, these athletes have captured our hearts in many different ways, and we can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us. See you at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles!
Also read:
Better hair days ahead.
Dark circles who?
How many phone cases do we need?
FYI for your next JB trip!