The Most Viral Moments of the 2024 Paris Olympics

After French authorities and the Olympic committee claimed that the Seine River—the notoriously brown-hued body of water that snakes through Paris—was safe to swim in, despite reservations from athletes and the general public, triathletes finally took the plunge on August 5. Following the cringe-inducing race, where swimmers made their way through the murky water, one athlete immediately projectile vomited while another described something alive brushing past her leg in the depths of the river. 

French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati experienced a crushing loss during the pole vault competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Fans watched as he knocked the bar to the ground after a slight miscalculation in his jump. Since the event, the video has circulated social media as onlookers expressed their sympathies for what looked like a deeply uncomfortable injury.

Yusuf Dikeç enjoyed a massively viral moment after appearing next to a lineup of fully outfitted shooters from other countries during the sharp shooting event at the 2024 Paris Olympics in just his team's uniform and his everyday eyeglasses. While other athletes employed lenses, scopes, and other aids, Dikeç opts not to utilize any equipment when competing. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 51-year-old Turkish athlete took home a silver medal. 

Beloved British swimmer Tom Daley captured the eyes of millions of Olympic viewers as cameras cut to him in the stands while supporting teammates in the pool. However, fans quickly noticed that the diver was keeping his hands busy during the competitions, and appeared to be knitting to pass the time. Later, Daley showed off his knitted creation on social media.

Team USA’s gymnast, Stephen Nedoroscik, is the latest Olympian to go viral during the Paris Games. The men’s team was on the brink of winning its first medal in 16 years and all eyes were on the last event’s athlete Nedoroscik. At the Olympics as a specialist for the USA men’s gymnastics team, Nedoroscik was filmed looking incredibly relaxed, closing his eyes, and wearing a pair of glasses on the sidelines before his event. When his time came to compete, the athlete said bye to the eyewear and performed a near-perfect routine on the pommel horse. His blissful state and performance has the internet exploding with memes and fans nicknaming the athlete the Olympics’ Clark Kent.

If there's one thing the Paris Games have proved so far, it's the fierceness and power of women. Egypt’s 26-year-old fencer, Nada Havez, competed in this year's Games while seven months pregnant. The athlete won her first game but was eventually knocked out in the final 16 and announced her exciting news on Instagram.

Is there anything Simone Biles can’t do? After struggling mentally and withdrawing from competition at the Tokyo Olympics, Biles traveled to Paris with all eyes on her comeback, and she did not disappoint. After successfully becoming the first woman to land the Yurchenko Double Pike at an Olympic Games, the gold medallist proved once again why she’s the world’s best. On July 30, Biles surpassed Shannon Miller and became the most decorated Olympic gymnast of all time, all while also leading Team USA's women’s gymnastics team to gold.

South Korea's Yeji Kim is the main character. Although shooting is one of the lesser known Olympic sports, Kim has single handedly boosted the sport’s popularity overnight after a video of her went viral. With her hand in her pocket and looking like a character out of a movie, the markswoman won silver in the women's 10m air pistol category and couldn't have looked any cooler while doing it.

In an extraordinary photo that took the internet by storm, Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina was captured in what appeared to be him floating a few feet above the water in a celebratory moment at the Paris Olympics in Teahupo’o, Tahiti after a near perfect score.

Now that Jason Kelce has officially retired from the NFL, he’s taken on a new gig to become Team USA’s women’s rugby team’s biggest fan. He paid tribute to Team USA’s rugby star Ilona Maher by wearing a patriotic short-sleeved button-up shirt that featured her face on it on Tuesday.