The 9 Biggest Viral Stars To Emerge From The 2024 Olympics So Far

Plenty of athletes were already household names by the time they headed to Paris for the 2024 Olympics, but one of the best parts of the international competition is seeing people who were virtually unknown before the event being thrust into the spotlight.

That happens every time the Games get underway, and this year is no exception.

 

The likes of Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky were already incredibly well-known before they cemented their legend at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but there are plenty of other athletes who got their first real taste of fame thanks to what transpired after they headed to France.

There’s still time for more people to join their ranks, but here’s a look at the competitors who’ve experienced a wild glow-up thanks to what’s transpired at the Olympics.

Ilona Maher

It had been 100 years since an American team won a medal in rugby at the Olympics, but that all changed when the women’s Sevens team managed to win the bronze with a shocking walk-off try and conversion in the final seconds of its showdown with Australia.

Ilona Maher emerged as the undisputed star of the squad during the fairly unlikely run that ended with the team getting a $4 million cash injection, as she garnered plenty of attention for her response to internet trolls who took aim at the physique that helped her make life very difficult for some of her opponents.

Stephen Nedoroscik

The men’s gymnastics team representing the United States needed a solid performance on the pommel horse to win its first medal in 16 years, and it got exactly that courtesy of 25-year-old Stephen Nedoroscik, who’d spent hours waiting for his moment in the spotlight.

The bespectacled gymnast took off the glasses he’d been rocking due to a couple of eye conditions that require him to wear them before rising to the occasion and subsequently transformed into a bit of celebrity online courtesy of the many, many people who found themselves fawning over the man helped Team USA secure the bronze.

Kim Ye-ji

South Korea’s Kim Ye-ji won a silver medal in the women’s 10m air pistol competition, and she managed to attract plenty of attention online thanks to the ice-cold demeanor that helped her go viral.

While she can credit the majority of the attention to a clip that was filmed at a competition that took place ahead of the Olympics, the Games were responsible for attracting a legion of new fans obsessed with an “aura” that drew comparisons to a professional assassin.

Yusuf Dikec

Kim wasn’t the only shooter who became an online sensation, as Yusuf Dikec of Turkey received a similar treatment thanks to the nonchalance he exuded while winning a silver in the mixed 10m air pistol competition.

Dikec declined to wear the special eyewear Kim and most other athletes competing in the sport harness (he was simply rocking a pair of prescription glasses), and the fact that he won a medal with a hand firmly wedged in his pocket created a vibe people became absolutely obsessed with.

Henrik Christiansen

All of the athletes I’ve mentioned earned a spot on the podium, which is a feat Henrik Christiansen of Norway (who is competing in the 800m and 1500m freestyle) has not managed to achieve so far.

With that said, he did manage to make a name for himself after falling in love with the chocolate muffins that are being served up at the Olympics Village before amassing a sizeable and dedicated following on TikTok with the string of videos that led to him being dubbed “The Muffin Man.”

Giorgia Villa

Italy’s Giorgia Villa did manage to earn a medal after her country came in second to Simone Biles and Co. during the women’s all-around gymnastics competition, but she can also credit food for the bulk of her newfound internet fame.

In 2021, Villa was named an official ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and people were understandably very amused by a resurfaced photoshoot featuring her posing with massive wheels of the beloved Italian product.

Gianmarco Tamberi

Villa wasn’t the only Italian athlete who went viral for reasons that didn’t necessarily have to do with their performance at the Olympics, as high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi also attracted plenty of attention for all of the wrong reasons thanks to what unfolded during the Opening Ceremony.

Tamberi—who was selected to serve as one of the country’s flagbearers—managed to lose his wedding ring in the Seine while the boat he was on was making its way down the river, and his apology to his wife quickly went viral thanks to the loving elegance of his mea culpa.

Nada Hafez

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez may have come up short in the Olympics, but she was nonetheless an inspiration due to the fact that she was seven months pregnant while competing.

Hafez declined to reveal that fact before heading to Paris, but the 26-year-old blew plenty of minds when she hopped on Instagram after getting knocked out in the round of 16 to share the news with the rest of the world.

Gabriel Medina

There isn’t a single photo to come out of the 2024 Olympics that’s come close to receiving the amount of attention as the one that was snapped by a photographer who captured Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina casually posing in the air after riding a wave.

If that wasn’t cool enough on its own, you should know Medina struck the pose after posting a 9.90 during his run, which was good enough for the highest score in Olympic history.