The Olympic Games is a stage where athletes prove their grit and determination, bringing home pride and joy to their respective countries. But it’s also a stage where these athletes become the world’s center of attention, especially in this age when anything can go viral. We’ve seen a lot of Paris 2024 competitors going viral recently, so we listed down some of the Olympic athletes the internet has been obsessing over and why:

Kim Yeji

Country: South Korea
Olympic sport: Shooting – Women’s 10m Air Pistol

Why the internet is obsessed with this athlete: Viewers love her captivating look completed with the bespoke glasses she wears to help with precision, a stylish demeanor, and an epic pose. The fact that she brings her daughter’s stuffed elephant to her events makes the internet simp even more. The South Korean Olympic athlete bagged a silver medal, second only to her compatriot and Olympic Village roommate Oh Yejin, who set an Olympic Record of 243.2.

Stephen Nedoroscik

Country: USA
Olympic sport: Artistic Gymnastics – Pommel Horse

Why the internet is obsessed with this athlete: Dubbed the “Pommel Horse Guy,” Stephen Nedoroscik specializes in the pommel horse, a gymnastic apparatus made of metal and covered with foam and leather and usually only used by men. It is also the only event he joins for the US gymnastics team. People love how he removes his eyeglasses just before his pommel horse routine — just like a real-life Clark Kent!

Henrik Christiansen

Country: Norway
Olympic sport: Swimming

Why the internet is obsessed with this athlete: A self-declared “Olympic muffin man,” Henrik Christiansen, has been hogging all the chocolate muffins in the Olympic Village. Well, while that’s an exaggeration, he did make dozens of posts about how much he loves the gooey chocolate muffin, even going viral on the internet for it. If he’s not swimming, we’re pretty sure we’ll find him with a chocolate muffin in hand.

Thomas Ceccon

Country: Italy
Olympic sport: Swimming

Why the internet is obsessed with this athlete: Finding good-looking athletes at a sports event is nothing new, and the Olympics is no different. Paris 2024 viewers are simping over gold medalist Thomas Ceccon, who is even being compared to a Greek God. Most recently though, the internet found his beef with Paris funny after the swimmer slept outside allegedly due to the lack of AC and the athletes’ noise in the Olympic Village.

Yusuf Dikec

Country: Turkey
Olympic sport: Shooting – 10m Air Pistol Mixed Event

Why the internet is obsessed with this athlete: Paris 2024 viewers have become fans of Yusuf Dikec thanks to his casual and chill look while getting bullseyes. He is a highly decorated shooting athlete with two World Championship titles to his name (both in 2014), but he made history for his country in Paris 2024. With one hand in his pocket and wearing only the team shirt, jeans, and standard eyeglasses (as opposed to customized ones often used by athletes), he bagged a silver medal alongside teammate Sevval Ilayda Tarhan, winning Turkey’s first-ever medal in Olympic shooting. The podium finish had people creating conspiracy theories about him — including one about him being a real-life John Wick!

Ilona Maher

Country: USA
Olympic sport: Rugby

Why the internet is obsessed with this athlete: Even before she bagged a bronze medal with the US Women’s Sevens team, Ilona Maher has always been a fan favorite thanks to her candid Tiktok videos, especially when she claps back against netizens giving unsolicited comments on her body. In one video, she slammed a commenter guessing her BMI. “I do have a BMI of 30, I am considered overweight. But alas, I’m going to the Olympics — and you’re not.” Tell ‘em, girl!

Giorgia Villa

Country: Italy
Olympic sport: Artistic Gymnastics

Why the internet is obsessed with this athlete: As one of the members of the team that secured a silver medal (just behind the USA team!), Giorgia Villa is an athlete who has made Italian history, bringing the country their best result in Olympic gymnastics. But that’s not why she’s going viral. Her promotional photos as an ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese have gone viral, and the internet is loving it, baptizing her “Parmesan Cheese Girl”.

Xu Jiayu

Country: China
Olympic sport: Swimming

Why the internet is obsessed with this athlete: A backstroke specialist, Xu Jiayu has secured several Paris 2024 medals for his country: a silver for men’s 100m backstroke, another silver for the mixed team 4x100m medley relay, and a gold for the men’s team 4x100m medley relay. But it’s his stuffed duck toy that’s capturing the hearts of Olympic viewers worldwide. He has been traveling around with the duck toy dressed as a tourist with a big camera around its neck, bringing it everywhere — yes, even the finals!

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