The Paris Olympics will undoubtedly go down as modern history’s most memorable edition of the event, because of its documentation. Social media is gripped by the Olympic fever, with the event trending on platforms all around the world. A lot of the event’s omnipresence has to do with online culture, which has significantly shaped the reception of the games amidst the younger audience.
Snoop Dogg becoming the ultimate meme content, the GOAT-ification of Simone Biles, the sudden takeover of the internet by quiet Olympic stars, and many more such moments have become the most talked-about topics online. Thanks to social media, the distance between Paris and the homes of those who are consuming such content has come down to a mere screen.
Social media is changing the reason for which the Olympics are famous
The USA’s men’s gymnastics team won their first Olympic medal in 16 years, and made headlines. But what became a pop-culture sensation was Stephen Nedoroscik’s routine of pommel horse – a move that has become synonymous with his name. After the team’s bronze win, social media was rife with a photo of a sleeping Nedoroscik, with glasses on his face. He was likened to Superman’s fake identity of Clark Kent, after delivering his best on the beam with the pommel horse, sans glasses. Nedoroscik, who likes to show his online followers his rubik cube skills, is now fondly, and respectfully, known by the internet as the ‘pommel horse guy.’
Daily action from the Olympics is available on social media 24/7. And it’s not sports achievements that are making headlines. It is the behind-the-scenes content that is getting all the attention. Nedoroscik was merely a bronze medalist until the image of him sleeping and video of his routine broke the internet. More interesting news like the reality of the Olympic beds, life in the Olympic village, and more is what is attracting online attention. Gianmarco Tamberi made headlines for expressing ardent love for his wife, after losing his wedding ring in the Seine during the opening ceremony. Moments like these are getting even more attention than plain old results.
Despite being in 2024, the world is still very much interested in the ages-old sporting event
The Paris Olympics is seeing unbelievable highs in viewership, especially because of how different it is from its previous editions. The faces of Olympic sports have changed, who now have newer icons that are more easily identified by the young. Simone Biles, the American contingent’s star athlete, has emerged as the biggest celebrity of the Olympics because of the hype around her. Another favorite Olympian for the online world is Turkey’s 51-year-old shooter, Yusuf Dikec, who claimed a silver in the sport with no fancy gear to aid him in his performance. It is uncanny how this year’s Olympics is churning out moments and feats that appeal to the Gen Z mindset. Otherwise, a 51-year-old would have to do something otherworldly to get this kind of attention from social media.
It would be incorrect to say that the Olympics is not a popular sporting event. The new and modernized Paris edition is expected to capture the attention of “half of the entire world’s population,” according to the International Olympics Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach. His words definitely have a lot of truth to them, because of the high viewership numbers being recorded by broadcasters. 27.5 million – yes, you read that right – US workers are forging plans to ditch work and watch the Paris Olympics instead. When those numbers of people are willing to leave work to tune into a quadrennial event, it is surely a big deal.
