The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris were a pretty memorable affair, and they’ve given us more viral moments than we can count. From shooting stars Yusuf Dikec and Kim Ye-ji o to “Muffin Man” Henrik Christiansen, here are the amazing athletes who ended up stealing the show in France.
Shooting Stars
Yusuf Dikec and Kim Ye-ji only picked up silver medals in Paris, but that didn’t stop them from becoming the Games’ biggest shooting stars. The internet dubbed Ye-ji “the coolest person on the planet”, while Dikec earned himself the nickname “the Turkish John Wick”.
Floating Surfer
The Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina became the star of one of the Olympics’ most viral photos, after being caught on camera floating mid-air, with his surfboard seemingly mimicking his stance.
Olympic Muffin Man
Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen didn’t even have to win a medal to go viral – his TikTok videos capturing his love for chocolate muffins at the Olympic dining hall did the trick.
@henrikchristians1 When bae is looking like a snack #fyp #olympics #paris2024 #olympictiktok #olympicvillage #muffins @Olympics @paris2024 ♬ original sound – mywatchhistory
Simone Biles’ Funny Captions
Simone Biles won three golds and one silver in Paris, breaking several records in the process, but eventually went viral thanks to her hilarious captions on social media that targeted some of her harshest critics.
Imane Khelif’s Defiance
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was a target of intense online scrutiny during her time at the Olympics due to malicious discourse surrounding her gender, but that didn’t stop her from walking away with gold.
