Some of these athletes can boast medals and inspiring stories, while others were the center of viral memes. But all are breakout stars who won the internet.
Related: Here Are All The Filipino Athletes Competing At The 2024 Paris Olympics
With the 2024 Paris Olympics in full swing, many have focused on the thousands of athletes competing in the annual sporting event. As arguably the most prestigious competition in the world, the Olympics is a showcase of the best of the best. But while the athletic feats are thrilling to watch, the Olympics has also given us athletes we probably didn’t even know two weeks ago to fall in love with for their stories, medals, memes, or a mix of all three and then some. Check out these Olympic athletes who have become the internet’s newest faves.
KIM YEJI
You dropped this, Kim Yeji: 👑
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 1, 2024
📷: Korean Sport & Olympic Committee pic.twitter.com/eCNGrNP7os
Olympic sharpshooting really had a moment this year, didn’t it? One of the people you can thank for that is South Korean sharpshooter Kim Yeji after images of her at the World Cup made the rounds online due to the massive main character energy she gave. From her confident stance to her cyberpunk-esque accessories, she looked like the coolest athlete in the world. FYI, 2024 marked the 31-year-old’s debut at the Olympics, where she took home silver in the 10m air pistol women’s event, losing to gold to her fellow Korean, 19-year-old Oh Ye Jin. We love badass women in this house.
SIMONE BILES
Simone Biles didn’t just secure GOAT status, she practically owned it. But our favorite though goes to her IG caption that was a *chef’s kiss* clapback to MyKayla Skinner. We’d give her another gold medal just for that tbh. Let Simone’s success be a reminder that prioritizing rest and mental health is more than ok so that you can come back to what you love stronger than before.
STEPHEN NEDROSCIK
Obsessed with this guy on the US men's gymnastics team who's only job is pommel horse, so he just sits there until he's activated like a sleeper agent, whips off his glasses like Clark Kent and does a pommel horse routine that helps deliver the team its first medal in 16 years. pic.twitter.com/0D1ZqJjFa1
— Megan 📚 (@MegWritesBooks) July 29, 2024
Stephen Nedroscik made being good at one thing a social media sensation. The American gymnast is what you’d call an apparatus specialist, basically a gymnast who only focuses on one aspect of the sport, in his case, pommel horse. He waited hours just to activate his superpowers and secured a bronze for the US men’s gymnastics team in the process. This guy’s job is pommel horse, and he does it so well with two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics to his name. This Clark Kent gymnast variant’s skills are even more impressive when you consider the upper body and core strength needed for the apparatus.
REBECA ANDRADE
This is everything. pic.twitter.com/FrXz7wWtQg
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 5, 2024
Women’s gymnastics this year was full of GOATs, and one of those was Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade. Up against the icon Simone Biles, the Gen Z athlete not only kept up, she showed out with multiple medals, including a gold at the women’s floor exercise final. That moment when Simone and Jordan Chiles bowed to Rebeca as she went up the podium was everything. It’s giving the greatest Brazilian gymnast in history behavior.
YUSUF DIKEC
For those who think that you need all kinds of equipment to succeed as an athlete, look at Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec. With his simple attire and nonchalant energy, the 51-year-old sharpshooter dominated feeds with many claiming him to be John Wick irl. The best part is that in his fifth Olympic participation (he’s been competing in the Games since 2008), he and his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan secured the silver medal in the mixed team 10-meter air pistol event.
CARLOS YULO
If he isn’t going viral for having kept the chalk he uses in gymnastics in a Tupperware (something he learned in Japan), Carlos Yulo is bringing pride to the Philippines with his historic gold medal wins at the men’s gymnastics floor exercise event final and the men’s vault final. Just like that, his redemption arc is complete with two Olympic gold medals to show for it, and we couldn’t be any happier.
HERGIE BACYADAN
While the 29-year-old didn’t go all the way in his Olympics debut, he still made history in Paris with his barrier-breaking presence. As the first trans athlete to compete at the Olympics, Hergie won the hearts of netizens around the world by reminding us that an athlete isn’t determined by adhering to stereotypes but by having the discipline, grit, and passion to succeed.
ARMAND DUPLANTIS
Paris 2024’s men’s pole vault event was one for the ages. First, EJ Obiena improved his standing by jumping from 11th (5.70m) in Tokyo to 4th (5.90m), just barely missing out on a podium finish. Despite that, he’s still a champion in our book. Second, Armand Duplantis not only secured his second gold medal, but he also broke the Olympic record in the men’s pole vault twice, ultimately finishing with a recorded height of 6.25m. Another GOAT in our midst.
HENRIK CHRISTIANSEN
@henrikchristians1 When bae is looking like a snack #fyp #olympics #paris2024 #olympictiktok #olympicvillage #muffins @Olympics @paris2024 ♬ original sound – mywatchhistory
27-year-old Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen is a three-time Olympian who competes in long-distance swimming. But he’s also gone viral in Paris for his highkey obsession with the chocolate muffins served at the Olympic Village. He’s made more than a dozen TikTok videos about the dessert, and we don’t blame him.
JAKE JARMAN
Olympic crush alert. Filipino-British gymnast Jake Jarman (his mother is from Cebu) may be part of Team Great Britain, but he charmed many Filipino netizens with his good looks and Pinoy-coded behavior, especially after he took the bronze to Carlos Yulo’s gold in the men’s gymnastics floor exercise.
THOMAS CECCON
Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon can proudly claim a gold medal in the 100m backstroke event and a bronze in the team 4x100m freestyle relay in Paris. But aside from his swimming skills, the athlete has also gone viral online for his A+ face card that would have the fish stopping to look. If only we could be this talented and good-looking.
IMANE KHELIF
Imane Khelif is overcome with emotion after winning her quarterfinal bout versus Luca Hamori in dominating fashion, 5-0
— Maher Mezahi (@MezahiMaher) August 3, 2024
Her coach was screaming 'They bullied her' repeatedly and 'Long live Algeria'
Khelif advances to the semi-finals and is now guaranteed a medal in Paris pic.twitter.com/NXU0F8JWi8
What was supposed to be a simple boxing match for Algeria’s Imane Khelif turned into a nightmare when her Italian opponent quit after 46 seconds and complained she got hit too hard, causing a torrent of transphobic remarks after people assumed that Khelif was a man. The online vitriol against her just because people assumed she didn’t look like a woman was vile. Yet, like a true champion, she persevered and is now on her way to securing an Olympic medal.
GIANMARCO TAMBERI
We can imagine losing your wedding ring might feel like the end of the world. But for Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi, it was an opportunity to reaffirm his love for his wife. Tamberi, who served as Italy’s flagbearer during the opening ceremony, lost his wedding ring at the Seine River. But, in an aura-increasing move, he took to Instagram to apologize to his wife and look at the brighter side of the situation.
“It will stay forever in the riverbed of the city of love, flown away while I tried to carry the Italian tricolor as high as possible during the opening ceremony of the most important sporting event in the world,” he wrote in the caption. By the way, this isn’t the first time he’s gone viral, as during the Tokyo Olympics, he and Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim tied at the men’s high jump event for first place with a height of 2.37 m. Instead of fighting for the win, they decided to share the gold.
Continue Reading: 5 Ways You Can Support Team Philippines At The 2024 Paris Olympics
