7 Asian Athletes And Celebrities Going Viral At The “2024 Paris Olympics”
There’s never a dull moment at the Olympics! Check out this list of talented athletes and celebrities who are winning love from people around the world.
1. Jin (BTS)
On July 14, Jin carried the Olympic torch through Paris ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although his general presence caused a buzz online, one particularly “leJindary” moment attracted lots of attention.
View this post on Instagram
Before the torch-bearing began, one of Jin’s hit solo songs, “Super Tuna” played from a nearby truck. When Jin heard it, his reaction was priceless!
this is when they played supertuna 🥲
he apparently raised his hands to dance but then decided against it.
pic.twitter.com/Z5XLnSCdKm— jams 🥞 (@freerantings) July 14, 2024
HIS SMILE WHEN SUPER TUNA STARTED
OLYMPIC TORCHBEARER JIN
PRIDE OF KOREA JIN
JIN AT PARIS OLYMPICS
#조각상탈출_김석진_루브르성화봉송 #달려라석진_성화봉송한국대표 #방탄소년단진 #JIN pic.twitter.com/IrVtldZQcq— steph hugged jin 🫂 (@gomdorichick) July 14, 2024
2. Kim Ye Ji
If anybody is radiating “main character” energy at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, it’s this South Korean pistol shooter.
Her silver medal win in the women’s 10-meter air pistol tournament impressed netizens, who are now falling head over heels for Kim’s cool, charismatic presence.
South korean shooter Kim Yeji is th3 new James Bond of th3 Olympics, I'm absolutely obsessed with those shooting glasses and badass attitude 😎 #KIMYEJI pic.twitter.com/jR39XmAMFz
— IMSOVOGUE (@imso_vogue) July 30, 2024
Kim’s contrast with Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec, who casually won silver while dressed like everybody’s dad, is also contributing to her popularity online.
I know everyone is loving the South Korean pistol shooter in the Olympics with robocop vibes. I present you the Turkish pistol shooter. 51 years old. Flip flops, hands in pocket. He would’ve lit a cigarette if he could. My vibe.
(He got🥈btw)#OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/MrnO8Q5oiy
— Kerem (@kerem) July 31, 2024
3. Oh Sang Uk
Like Kim Ye Ji, South Korea’s gold winner Oh Sang Uk is becoming the internet’s new crush. With the face of a K-Drama male lead and the proportions of a model (192cm or just under 6’3″ tall), his visuals are making netizens sit up and take notice.
His Instagram account has gained hundreds of thousands of followers in a short period of time, and it’s not hard to see why.
Oh Sang Uk isn’t just handsome, of course. He is now the first South Korean male fencer to win Olympic gold in individual fencing, having defeated Tunisian fencer Fares Ferjani.
4. Tang Qianting
A viral clip of 20-year-old Chinese swimmer Tang Qiantinghas racked up over 1 million likes and thousands of comments after being shared to TikTok.
Tang Qianting won silver in the Paris Olympics women’s 100m breaststroke finals, but she also won the internet, thanks to her Speedo swimsuit. While preparing to dive, Tang Qianting stood against a blue background that matched the sides of her swimsuit a little too well, causing part of her waist to vanish.
The result? Snatched. The optical illusion has netizens doing a double take.
5. The group photo that embodied what the Olympics is all about
On July 30, the mixed doubles table tennis event took place. South Korea won bronze, North Korea won silver, and China won gold.
Afterward, South Korea’s Lim Jong Hoon took a group selfie with teammate Shin Yu Bin, North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, and China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha. These photos are especially noteworthy, given the history and heightened tensions between North and South Korea.
6. Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan
This pair of divers bamboozled viewers with their unbelievable synchronization during an event.
China’s Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan won their seventh gold medal with a flawless performance during the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform dive.
From the side, it looks like only one person is diving, when in fact both divers are launching at precisely the same time, “tricking” the eyes of viewers all over the globe.
7. Daiki Hashimoto
A clip of Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto receiving a sports massage has gone viral on TikTok, racking up over 3 million views in just four days. While watching the moment on TV, the user who uploaded this clip, tiredmillennialaunt, playfully asks, “Um, so, how do you think you get that job. What are the…What are the qualifications…?”
Now netizens are declaring their love for Daiki, sending him well-wishes — and thanking the camera operator for this viral moment.
@tiredmillennialaunt I have a few questions. #parisolympics2024 #mensgymnastics #jobapplication #putmeincoach #olympics
