PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 28: Snoop Dogg (R) attends the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Qualification on day … [+]
The 2024 Paris Olympics has been even more entertaining than usual, with memorable moments constantly going viral and Olympians posting their experiences on social media, making the Paris Games feel like more of a shared cultural event.
Here are the best memes of the Paris Olympics, so far.
The Sharp Shooters
Kim Yeji of Team South Korea competes in 25m Pistol Women’s Qualification Precision on the seventh … [+]
The Olympic shooters and their slick outfits quickly caught the attention of the internet, with South Korean sport shooter Kim Yeji going viral for her cool composure and “main character energy,” with commentators comparing her to a cyberpunk action hero.
She even caught the attention of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima, who reposted her photos.
Cool, composed, and armed with aiming gadgets, Yeji instantly inspired a following, some even making fan art of her and the other shooters.
Turkish sport shooter Yusuf Dikeç also went incredibly viral by displaying another kind of cool—understated, underequipped and seemingly effortless.
Many memes were sparked by commentators jokingly comparing the two.
Grouped together, the motley crew of shooters resembled a scrappy team of sci-fi heroes.
The Muffin Man
TikTok has allowed viewers to get a glimpse behind the curtain into the day-to-day realities of the Olympic village, with athletes posting footage of their experiences, such as sleeping on recyclable cardboard beds and binge-eating chocolate muffins.
Successful TikTok creators tend to carve a niche on the video-sharing platform, and stick to it; Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen has gone viral on TikTok by posting many, many clips detailing his love of the muffins found in the dining hall, and has been dubbed the “muffin man” by social media users.
Christiansen posts a variety of meme templates and comedy sketches, all revolving around those magical chocolate chip muffins, and raking in millions of views per video.
Christiansen’s muffin fandom even attracted the attention of celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay, who commented, “I think I need to try one now…”
The Well-Endowed Pole Vaulter
Anthony Ammirati of Team France competes during during the Men’s Pole Vault Qualification on day … [+]
French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati became a viral star after footage of him failing to clear the pole showed his bulge hitting the crossbar, seemingly pulling it off the rack.
It was later revealed that Ammirati’s legs hit the crossbar before his bulge did (the footage was thoroughly and repeatedly inspected, by many interested observers).
Nevertheless, commentators took the opportunity to crack jokes with one describing Ammirati’s failure as a result of “stiff competition,” and another asserting that Ammirati’s girlfriend, at least, had won “gold medal.”
Ammirati may have been disappointed not to qualify for the pole vault final, but the Olympian was offered something of a consolation prize after an adult entertainment company offered him $250,000 for a 60-minute cam show.
Days later, despite the competition having gone on without him, Ammirati’s prize-losing bulge was still being referenced.
Pommel Horse Guy
American gymnast Steve Nedoroscik gave an impressive performance on the pommel horse, but the internet fell in love with the man’s vibes, posting memes about Nedoroscik sleeping while waiting his turn.
Nedoroscik’s glasses prompted comparisons to Clark Kent and Steve Smith from American Dad.
After patiently waiting his turn, Nedoroscik, as commentators put it, “pommeled the heck out of that horse,” earning the U.S. men’s gymnastics team their first medal in 16 years.
Snoop Dogg Attends Everything
Snoop Dogg attends the Dressage Team Grand Prix Special on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 … [+]
Through sheer enthusiasm, Snoop Dogg has become the unofficial face of the Olympics, with the rapper appearing at multiple events and showing his support, sparking many memes along the way.
Snoop Dogg carried the Olympic Torch with a crip walk, and went on to try his hand at many of the events, such as sprinting, judo, powerlifting, fencing and horse riding; as one TikTok account put it, Snoop is “completing all the side quests.”
Snoop provides his own Olympics commentary, much to the delight of fans; the rapper even inspired a hashtag for fans to track his antics called #followthedogg.
There’s still a few days left of the Paris Games, and the Olympian’s incredible feats and cool, candid photos are sure to inspire many more memes.
