A games that had everything
The 2024 Olympics has thrown up many talking points over the two weeks of competition. From inspirational moments of triumph to heartbreaking close calls, this Olympic Games in Paris really had it all.
saw some more bizarre moments throughout the events
While all the action was breathtaking, we also saw some more bizarre moments throughout the events that went viral across social media. From Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec to the French pole vaulter who missed out on a medal due to his manhood catching the bar at the last second, we present some of the most viral moments.
Yusuf Dikec’s iconic display in the shooting competition (>54k retweets)
While not many people were anticipating the shooting event getting so much attention before the Olympics, it contributed to the most viral moment of the entire competition.
Memes of the Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec dominated social media for days after he claimed a silver medal. He caught the eye of people for his extremely laid-back approach, wearing a plain t-shirt, not having the same fancy eyewear or earwear as his competitors, keeping one hand in his pocket, and having a look of boredom on his face as he casually claimed second place.
People enjoyed how he looked like your average Joe on the street, with others saying he must be an assassin due to his cool, calm composure:
French pole vaulter’s manhood stopped him from progressing (>50k retweets)
Whenever a French athlete was called out at an event in Paris, the crowd went wild. Plenty of anticipation was in the air as pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati was trying to make it out of the qualifying round.
The 21-year-old looked to have met the grade when he cleared the bar with his legs and torso before his crotch caught it at the final moment. Viewers instantly took to social media sharing videos of the failed attempt:
Cameraman wanders across the track during 5,000m race (>40k retweets)
The Olympics are always one of the most-watched sporting events when it comes around every four years. Camera operators are everywhere trying to capture all the action.
One operator was seemingly too in the zone when he wandered onto the track during the 5,000-meter heat. He didn’t realize that he was right in the path of the runners and many of them had to dodge him and narrowly avoid falling over:
Australian hockey player arrested trying to buy cocaine
After earning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the Australian men’s hockey team was disappointed to be eliminated in the quarterfinal stage. The players were letting their hair down and enjoying their remaining time in Paris when one of them got caught up in a drug deal.
Tom Craig was allegedly trying to purchase cocaine from a 17-year-old when police arrested the pair. He was subsequently released with a warning and kicked out of the Olympic Village:
Italian swimmer sleeps in a park (>34k retweets)
A lot was said about the beds in the Olympic Village being made out of cardboard. Many athletes complained they were uncomfortable and had to purchase mattress toppers to get a good night’s sleep.
Others criticized the poor air conditioning system that led to stifling conditions in the rooms as temperatures soared in the city. One of Italy’s swimmers, Thomas Ceccon, who won a gold medal in the 100m backstroke, was so fed up he took his towel and bag to a nearby park to get some shuteye:
Canadian soccer team staff caught spying
Some teams try to get any edge they can over opponents and Canada’s women’s soccer team management really went for it, as they got caught spying on the New Zealand side during a practice session.
They flew a drone over the field and when the New Zealanders discovered that it belonged to a staff member of the Canadian team, the operator and the assistant coach, who was his superior, were sent home from the games.
trio received a year ban from the sport
While Manager Beverly Priestman claims to have known nothing about their actions, she still left the games voluntarily. She claimed that all the leading teams use the same spying tactic. The trio received a year ban from the sport and the team was docked six points at the Olympics.