The Paris 2024 Olympics have been labelled the first TikTok Olympics and are said to have brought the global sporting event to a new generation. During the Games, many were turning to coverage from social media instead of broadcasters, particularly among GenZ and Millennials. Viewers had closer access to teams and a look at the behind-the-scenes action on a centuries-old tradition like never before. What captivated those on social media more than anything were the personal stories of these athletes, the near-to-real-time heartfelt reactions and the raw emotions. From the sofa at home, people were celebrating the wins and experiencing the heart-wrenching failures on mass - it’s safe to say people were captivated.

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Two creators on the ground in Paris, Alex Durand and Tom Carles, otherwise known as AT Frenchies on Instagram, posted a video of themselves reacting to the striking view of the beach volleyball outdoor arena at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. It has since amassed 870K+ likes and 40K+ shares but some of the most viral moments started with the athletes themselves.

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US rugby player Ilona Maher gained nearly 2 million followers over the course of the Paris Games for her light-hearted videos showing life as an Olympian and female rugby player. She went viral for her videos calling the Athlete’s Village, “The Villa” in reference to the show Love Island and showing off the USA rugby team kit with “fit checks”. Many athletes from around the world followed suit with videos of them unboxing their own nation’s kit for the Games and finding creative ways to test the strength of the cardboard beds in the Olympic Village with somersaults and forward rolls in the mix. And you may have seen the “muffin man” - the Norwegian swimmer, Henrik Christiansen who went viral for his love of the chocolate muffins served in the Olympic Village. His TikTok account went from a few thousand followers at the start of the Games, ballooning to half a million by the end.

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In true social media style, a few athletes found themselves at the centre of viral memes. Pistol medalists Kim Ye-Ji and Yusuf Dikeç found themselves in a side-by-side comparison with Ye-Ji’s cool, “main-character energy” vs Dikeç’s casual demeanour.

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And Stephen Nedoroscik, the Pommel Horse gymnast who became an internet celebrity for his likeness to Superman’s alter-ego Clark Kent. Known for his love of the Rubik’s Cube, viral videos show Nedoroscik sitting on the sidelines in glasses waiting to perform before whipping them off to deliver a routine which won the team its first medal in 16 years.

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After seeing the memes on social media, viewers would go on to look up footage of that moment online. An example of this was when American sprinter Noah Lyles went viral for winning the men’s 100-meter by five-thousandths of a second - confirmed by a photo finish. The result was that 50% of the footage views of the victory moment on the streaming platform Peacock weren’t watched live but retrospectively.

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Even Snoop Dogg received the viral treatment. He was hired by US broadcaster NBC as a special correspondent but unofficially became America’s cheerleader bringing high energy and unwavering support for the American athletes regardless of the sport. His cameos went viral on social media not just for his outfits - a shiny gold suit and a full equestrian ensemble for the dressage finals - but also for his own brand of commentary referring to a “crip-walking horse” and when talking about his relationship with swimmer Michael Phelps noted, “Me and MP, we go back like the backstroke”.

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Going down in history as the most memed sporting event ever, the 2024 Olympics, has set a precedent for future Games. Previously, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have had a much stricter policy on how content is shared across different platforms but Paris 2024 with its record viewership numbers, is likely to result in the IOC actively encouraging viral moments on social media at future events. It’s not just the numbers that have proven successful, in recent years both the Olympics and Paralympics have gained a reputation for being expensive and disrupting life for the local people in the host city. Social media has helped paint the Games in a more positive light, by showing behind-the-scenes, direct fan-to-athlete interactions and the more human side of the Olympics - many have been able to feel more included and engaged with the Games, being able to participate in the conversation online and reenacting viral moments themselves. 

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It’s also good news for the Athletes who can build their own brand on social media to help fund their sporting careers and gain potential brand partnerships. There are already positive studies on athlete influencers whose fans tend to be very loyal and more emotionally connected compared with traditional influencers. Their followers strongly connect with their personal stories and see them as more trustworthy and authentic than for example, a reality TV influencer. The result is higher engagement and ROI on sponsored posts compared to the industry average. It’s an exciting space, expected to continue to grow and one worth a watch for brands whose values align well with these Athlete’s personal stories.

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Header photo by visuals on Unsplash.