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Ira Gorawara

Paris was undoubtedly an epicentre of viral stardom this Games.
Some Olympians landed a place on a podium, while others earned for themselves a place in the internet spotlight.
And they proved that the true measure of Olympic prosperity is not always sporting glory.
So let’s check out five of this year’s viral stars in Paris.

Do YOU know the #ParisOlympics muffin man? Click the link for all you need to know about #HenrikChristiansen: https://t.co/nIfZ1awNKb. 🍫 (🎥: TT) pic.twitter.com/cCKSkjcH4W
— E! News (@enews) August 2, 2024

The Muffin Man
Swimmer Henrik Christiansen had deeper waters to navigate than just his 800 or 1500 metre freestyle races.
Christiansen earned his nickname of the Muffin Man after he became irresistibly smote with the chocolate muffins served in the Olympic Village cafeteria and seemed unable to get enough.
The Norwegian’s sugary romance grabbed the TikTok spotlight through the Games after he posted a lighthearted 46-second clip in which he innocently rated the muffin 11 out of 10.
“I now know more about the chocolate muffin than the actual Olympic Games that are happening,” one user wrote on TikTok.
Gold tasted sweet for some, but sweetest was chocolate for the Muffin Man.

It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the top breaker. The kangaroo move 😆—how did she make it this far?! 👀 #BreakingForGold She should’ve swapped the kangaroo for a banana to really stand out. What is this? Seriously, is breakdancing really an Olympic event? pic.twitter.com/9zKeyt1MQp
— Bites Of Net (@BitesOfNet) August 9, 2024

Raygone
Breaking made its debut – and its farewell – at the Games, and social media users are hoping Raygun goes with it.
Australia’s first Olympic breakdancer, 36-year-old Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, went viral for all the wrong reasons last Friday.
And users on X ran wild with the viral videos.

#RayGun when I give my kids sugar pic.twitter.com/5V6rWIEHHt
— Brent Boswell (@beeboboz03) August 9, 2024

She painfully danced – or kangaroo’d – her way to finishing the competition with zero points out of 54, mastering the art of losing in style.
Gunn’s PhD related to breakdancing makes her pointless performance sting even more.

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

Pommel Horse Guy
He might not be able to tame a stallion, but the “Pommel Horse Guy” might have galloped out of Paris as the Games’ most iconic athlete.
Stephen Nedoroscik, 25, is a one-trick pony but has charisma in spades.
What captivated fans was Nedoroscik’s flair. He was spotted napping and solving a Rubik’s Cube during the men’s artistic gymnastics team final, then whipped off his glasses and nailed a flawless pommel horse routine to help clinch bronze for Team USA.
His girlfriend later branded herself “Ms Pommel Horse”.

Turkey sent a 51 yr old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal pic.twitter.com/sFKcsRzvrw
— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) July 31, 2024

The man with the silver gun
It took only a plain T-shirt, glasses and one hand in his pocket.
In other words, Turkey’s Yusuf Dikec was ready to go viral.
The look landed perfectly, earning him unprecedented fame and transforming it into a celebratory trend for athletes at the Games.

The celebration that keeps on giving 👀#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/KBX8WJBMKS
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 7, 2024

The Turkish shooter became an internet sensation while earning a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.

This shot of Gabriel Medina is ABSOLUTELY UNREAL 🤯 😱
( 📸: Jerome Brouillet) pic.twitter.com/4JQNI4olsi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 29, 2024

Medina air lines
Brazilian Gabriel Medina gave the surfing equivalent of a mic drop during the third day of competition in Tahiti.
In the fifth heat of the day, the 30-year-old rode a wave to a near-perfect 9.90 score, setting an Olympic record.
With his surfboard held parallel behind him and his right index finger pointed skyward, he soared from the water after a long barrel ride.
And so, he immortalised one of the most iconic images in Games history.


How some of Hong Kong’s top athletes are cashing in at National Games

National Games: outspoken Chinese hurdler Wu Yanni chasing beauty as well as results

National Games: Su Weide, Chinese gymnastics’ fallen figure, hopes for redemption

Final cost of staging Paris Olympics, Paralympics €6.6 billion, French auditors say

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Paris Olympics: it’s not always about winning or taking part – 5 viral stars of the Games

Swimmer Henrik Christiansen’s positive reviews of the chocolate muffins at the Village Plaza Cafe in the Olympic Village went viral on social media. Photo: EPA-EFE

Paris Olympics: Eurosport poster that excludes Chinese, Japanese athletes slammed as racist

The poster featured gold medallists such as Noah Lyles and Novak Djokovic, as well as celebrities Tom Cruise and Snoop Dogg, but no one from China or Japan. Photo: Instagram/eurosport

Olympic stars with biggest Instagram follower boom: Simone Biles, Stephen Curry and more

As well as three gold medals, United States gymnastics icon Simone Biles left Paris with five million extra Instagram followers. Photo: TNS

Paris Olympics: ‘godlike’ Ma Long hailed on Chinese social media after sixth gold

Ma Long (centre) with Wang Chuqin (left) and Fan Zhendong after winning the men’s team table tennis gold, Ma’s sixth at the Olympics. Photo: Reuters

Paris Olympics best reads: Hong Kong golds, Pan Zhanle clashes, Mongolia’s kit and more

Siobhan Haughey’s two bronze medals mean she has no won more Olympic medals than anyone else in history for Hong Kong. Photo: Xinhua

Mongolia’s attire for the Opening and Closing ceremony was hailed as the best at the Paris Games. Photo: Michel Amazonka

Gold medallist Cheung Ka-long Cheung (centre) overcame Filippo Macchi (left) in a dramatic final. Photo: Reuters

A once iconic photo is no more as Jordan Chiles (right) had her bronze medal rescinded. Photo: AFP

Paris Olympics: NBA stars, world-record breakers and main-character energy – top 5 debuts

Stephen Curry arrived in Paris as one of the NBA’s all-time greats but for his first-ever Olympic appearance, and he leaves a gold-medal winner. Photo: Reuters

Stephen Curry celebrates after securing the men’s basketball gold against France. Photo: Reuters

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

The Buzz

Sometimes it is more about a favourite chocolate snack, a kangaroo dance, a nap before the action, a casual shot or just a perfect wave


Sometimes it is more about a favourite chocolate snack, a kangaroo dance, a nap before the action, a casual shot or just a perfect wave.


Social media

Paris Olympics: it’s not always about winning or taking part – 5 viral stars of the Games

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Sometimes it is more about a favourite chocolate snack, a kangaroo dance, a nap before the action, a casual shot or just a perfect wave

The Muffin Man

Sometimes it is more about a favourite chocolate snack, a kangaroo dance, a nap before the action, a casual shot or just a perfect wave