The Olympic Games have always been an exciting event that brings together the best athletes from around the world in an unforgettable race for gold. But apart from all that, the Paris Olympics brought with it something new - Olympians proudly documenting their experiences on TikTok. Although we already observed a similar phenomenon during the Olympics in Tokyo, during the past games in Paris, it turned out to be many times more popular.
The platform has become an indispensable part of the lives of athletes and their fans. Thanks to TikTok, millions of people have the opportunity to peek behind the scenes, to feel the magic of the Olympic Village in a way that has never been possible before.
In this article, we will look at some inspiring, funny and interesting Olympic stories that we were able to wintess thanks to the Olympians' TikTok accounts.
- Ilona Maher in search of love in the Olympic village
Ilona Maher, an American rugby player, managed to win the hearts of fans around the world not only with her sports skills, but also with her sense of humor and authenticity. She gained a significant amount of followers and fame during the 2021 Tokyo Games. In 2024, she returned to the field and took all of her 2 million followers along with her.
Paris is the city of love - something that Ilona takes very seriously. That's why she started posting videos about her efforts to find love among the athletes in the village, jokingly calling her attempts "Love in the Olympic Villa." These videos quickly went viral, with viewers being drawn to her candor and positivity.
The search for love, albeit a joke, really brought Ilona and her followers closer together. Although she may not have found true love this year either, she managed to show the human side of the Olympics – full of friendships and sweet moments. After all, she left the Games with a bronze medal - what could be more awesome than that?
- Henrik Christiansen, who became The Muffin Man
Henrik Christiansen, a talented Norwegian swimmer, also found his unique way of showing life in the Olympic village. Unlike many who share training or race successes, Henrik focused on a seemingly unusual topic - chocolate muffins.
On his TikTok account, he started posting videos dedicated to the muffins he eats every day in the Olympic Village canteen. His videos were filled with humor, each one showing his growing obsession with the chocolate dessert.
These fun and unusual series quickly gained the attention of his followers and other Olympians alike. Videos in which other contestants also try to get and taste the famous muffin before "The Muffin Man" got to them also became a viral trend that entertained the audience.
The story of Henrik and the muffins not only added a dose of lightness and joy to the hectic days of the Olympics, but also showed that even the smallest moments in the Olympic village can be memorable and fun.
- Michaela Blyde and Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce: when an Olympian meets their idol
One of the most memorable and touching moments of the 2024 Olympic Games was the meeting of New Zealand rugby player Michaela Blyde with her longtime idol - the legendary Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ).
It all starts when Mikaela happens to spot Shelly-Ann in the canteen of the Olympic Village. She doesn't get a chance to talk to her idol, but the very fact that he's so close to her makes her cry tears of happiness. The story is sweet, funny, and immediately found a place on Mikaela's TikTok account, where it has been viewed about 4 million times.
Of course, as in a fairy tale, Shelley-Ann saw the video, followed the young rugby player on Instagram and messaged her. After a group effort from the entire New Zealand rugby team to respond to the message in the coolest possible way, the fateful meeting takes place! And it happens just when Mikaela is wearing a blouse with a stain and has forgotten to put on her shoes.
This incident gave such incredible motivation to the New Zealand rugby team that they went home with the gold. And Mikaela managed to film the dramatic finale of her participation in the Olympics - a video in which she shows her gold medal its new home. From the video we learn that the medal has been named Shelley, and it will spend its days next to the Tokyo gold medalist named Kin.
- Life in the Olympic Village
Imagine you're at summer camp, but instead of being surrounded by your friends and peers, you're spending your days with real world-class athletes. The feeling must be so unique that you would like to share how your days are going with the whole world. That's exactly what thousands of participants in the Olympics did this year.
One of the things viewers wanted to know right away was this - are the beds in the Olympic village still made of cardboard? And the answer came quickly - yes, they are indeed made of cardboard. Olympians showed them, tested them, jumped on them, and the audience was endlessly entertained by that.
From TikTok, we found out exactly what the menu in the Olympic village is. We saw many reviews of different dishes, looked at what the canteen looks like and learned about the real star of the Olympics - the chocolate muffin.
We also witnessed part of the daily life of the athletes, whose sport - surfing, is not held in Paris, but in Tahiti. We learned about their entertainment on the cruise, which acts as their water Olympic village, as well as what their rooms and beds look like.
And since friendship bracelets are exchanged at every summer camp, the Olympic village also had its counterpart - an exchange of badges. Many of the athletes showed off their collections and rated the badges from each country they could get their hands on.
These were some of the aspects of the Olympics that we learned about through TikTok. Being able to touch the contestants in such a personal and authentic way certainly gave the games a new charm that had never been seen before.
And if you want to know a little more about the right strategies for posting on TikTok, you can read our article.