When the Olympics come around every two years, it also brings a new crop of incredible athletes who are truly good at what they do. For avid fans, developing crushes can be an inevitable part of the Games.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics draw to a close, hundreds of people will take home medals for their achievements and instill a sense of pride in the hearts of their countrymen. But today, we honor those who managed to capture the attention — and thirst — of social media users.
Which Olympic athlete will I fall in love with today?
— Sam Stryker (@sbstryker) July 30, 2024
From dreamy track and field athletes to ice-cold stars, these are the most stunning competitors heading to the 2024 Olympics.
Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall
When Tara Davis-Woodhall won the gold medal in the long jump, she immediately ran to her husband, Paralympic athlete Hunter Woodhall. “Oh my God, baby, you’re the Olympic champion!” he exclaimed as they celebrated in each other’s arms. Fans are swooning over their love for each other.
Kim Ye-ji
The South Korean marksman went viral for her icy stare and backwards hat, winning a silver medal in the women’s 10m air pistol.
Her style is often compared to the casual look of Turkish silver medallist Yusuf Dikeç, who receives an honourable mention here.
Stephen Nedoroscik
Looking zen (and possibly asleep) in the final moments before his event, pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik went viral when he removed his glasses and helped U.S. men’s gymnastics take home a bronze medal in the team final, as well as the men’s individual pommel horse. He’s also pretty good with a Rubik’s cube.
Obsessed with this guy on the US gymnastics team whose only job is to ride horses, he just sits there until he’s activated like a dormant agent, takes off his glasses like Clark Kent and does a horse exercise that earns the team its first medal in 16 years. photo.twitter.com/0D1ZqJjFa1
— Megan 📚 (@MegWritesBooks) July 29, 2024
Ilona Maher
After dominating the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with her ultra-popular TikToks, Team USA rugby player Ilona Maher is back and better than ever. Literally — the team took home its first bronze medal.
Henrik Christiansen
Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen has gained a large new fan base after repeatedly posting about the chocolate muffins available in the Olympic Village, which apparently taste very good.
Noah Lyles
The fastest man alive is also one of the most stylish. The anime-loving athlete, who won gold in the men’s 100m race, often paints his nails and flaunts his best before his races. His energy may be a bit controversial to some, but others argue that he’s earned the right to be over-the-top.
Sha’Carri Richardson
Speaking of athletes with incredible style, Sha’Carri Richardson is known for her hair and nails. She won silver in the women’s 100m race — an incredible redemption after being disqualified from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Jules Bouyer
The French diver… well, look at him.
An academic subject that I am very interested in at the moment is the French diver Jules Bouyer. I find this subject intellectually very rewarding and intriguing. I think this is something that many others would like to study as well. There are many reasons why I find this subject fascinating. photo.twitter.com/Y9CS7urLl4
—David Mack (@davidmackau) July 29, 2024
Evy Leibfarth
The bronze medallist is a favourite on TikTok, where she promotes the niche sport of women’s canoe slalom, and fans found her overjoyed reaction to her win particularly endearing.
Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis
The Swedish pole vaulter, a two-time Olympic champion, has been compared to Timothée Chalamet and Jeremy Allen White. He jokingly parodied Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikeç’s post-win attitude of being “challenged”.
All the medals for Monday’s athletics competitions were already known, but everyone at State de France hung around for more than half an hour for Mondo Duplantis.
They watched the scene and cheered the Swedish dancer to the Dancing Queen. They were having the time of their lives.
I really like this atmosphere. photo.twitter.com/PLlDcQWWu5
— @ikevin.bsky.social (@TheiKevin) August 6, 2024
Gabby Thomas
The Harvard graduate has a master’s degree in epidemiology and an Olympic gold medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics. She won the women’s 200m race on August 6.
Graduates from Harvard at age 22. MA in Epidemiology. Volunteers at a health center for the uninsured in Austin. Wins a gold medal 🥇 at the #Olympic Games in the 200m.
Gabby Thomas. You are incredible. photo.twitter.com/efTLOqy3KQ
— Luis Miguel Echegaray (@lmechegaray) August 6, 2024
Thomas Ceccon
The Italian swimmer won gold in the men’s 100m backstroke. After being caught sleeping in a Paris park, he criticised the lack of air conditioning in the Olympic Village.
Alysha Nieuwman
The Canadian pole vaulter and OnlyFans model celebrated her victory with a twerk.
Rhasidat Adeleke
A ‘messy race’ did not stop Rhasidat Adeleke from making history as the first Irish woman to reach the Olympic sprint final.
Villa Giorgia
Viral photos of the Italian gymnast posing with wheels of cheese have garnered her a lot of online appreciation. She overcame multiple injuries to win a silver medal in the women’s gymnastics team.
I want people to know that Olympic silver medalist Giorgia Villa is sponsored by Parmesan and regularly posts pictures of herself with giant wheels of cheese photo.twitter.com/7gVyuGMoy5
— furiosarah (@slothanova) July 31, 2024
Tom Daley
The British diver has been a fixture at the Summer Olympics since 2008, winning five medals along the way, including a silver this year. But perhaps his most heart-warming quality is his propensity for going viral, whether it’s knitting Olympic jerseys or reenacting that scene from Titanic as the British flag bearer during the opening ceremony.
Simone Biles
As if being the most decorated gymnast in history wasn’t enough, Simone Biles overcame physical and mental challenges after withdrawing from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Just qualifying for the 2024 Games is a big deal, but she’s won three gold medals and a silver. Even Elmo loves her.
Updated on August 9, 2024, 10:26 AM: This story was originally published on August 8, 2024, and has been updated to include Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall.
