The 2024 Paris Olympics is currently in full swing, and the world is enamored by the various ways of demonstrating peak human stamina, strength and athleticism.
In the Olympics, those who make the headlines usually are only the ones who get the bronze, silver and gold medals. However, in the world of social media, there are some individuals who went viral because there's something special about them. Let's see who they are!
Kim Ye-Ji, South Korea (silver, women's 10m air pistol)
Many of those following the Paris Olympics would agree that Korean sport shooter Kim Ye-Ji exuded high confidence and charisma, and she stole hearts everywhere with her unflinching demeanor in competition.
Images of her went viral online - she wore a sleek jacket and futuristic eyewear as she aimed for her target with a picture-perfect posture.
In the finals of her shooting event, dangling from her pocket was an elephant plush toy, given to her by her 5-year-old daughter.
She went on to win a silver medal for her country.
Yusuf Dikec, Turkey (silver, 10m air pistol mixed team)
An entirely different aura compared to Kim's sleek look, Yusuf Dikec has been endearingly described online as a "random Turkish dad."
"South Korea sent a fully-kitted out player for the Olympic shooting. Turkey sent a 51-year-old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection... and got the silver medal," said a meme page.
The internet seems to think he's cool, with fan art of Yusuf popping up online barely a few hours later.
He was also compared to Nero, a gun-wielding demon hunter from the Devil May Cry video game franchise, because both have the same gray hair and expression.
The official Olympics Facebook account described both shooters as "The Olympic shooting stars we didn't know we needed."
Choe Dae-han, South Korea (men's 10m air rifle event)
Special mention to yet another shooter, Choe Dae-han of South Korea, who ranked 7th in the men's 10m air rifle event.
Choe definitely hit the mark on social media, with his arched back drawing comparisons to several characters from anime and games.
Stephen Nedoroscik, USA (bronze, men's artistic team all-around)
Nicknamed the Olympics' "Clark Kent" because of his resemblance to Superman's alter-ego, 25-year-old US gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik made waves online as he expertly maneuvers the pommel horse, a gymnastics apparatus.
Nedoroscik, who is now named as "Mr Pommel Horse", reportedly spent two hours just waiting and taking naps as he waited for his only event - not only capturing the judges' attention but also the hearts of people worldwide.
X(Twitter) user MegWritesBooks said, "Obsessed with this guy on the US men's gymnastics team whose 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."
Nada Hafez, Egypt (women's individual sabre competition)
Most women who are in their seventh month of pregnancy prioritize comfort, but Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez "instead donned an electrically-conductive jacket, a sabre and a mesh wire mask", The Guardian wrote.
Even more amazing, she won her first match in the individual sabre competition at the third day of the Paris Olympics, not revealing her pregnancy until she was knocked out at the last 16 stage. She wrote on her Instagram, "What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three!"
The 26-year-old fencer beat Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the United States 15-13 before losing 15-7 to Jeon Hayoung of South Korea.
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/main-character-energy-5-paris-olympics-athletes-going-viral-on-social-media
https://theweek.com/sports/the-viral-stars-of-the-2024-paris-olympics
