9 moments of beauty at the Paris Olympics

Written by Sadiba Hasan

Some people watch the Olympics for the events. Others watch for the hot athletes.

This is nothing new. Going all the way back to the first century, orator Dio Chrysostom praised the “beauty” of boxer Melankomas, who competed in the ancient Greek athletic games.

That same feeling resonates in 2024. A number of participants in the Paris Summer Olympics have distinguished themselves for more than just their athletic talent. In one extreme case, a pole-vaulter gained a great deal of attention — some might say notoriety — for failing in a unique way. Others caught the public’s attention through moments of love or kindness — a different but equally palpable form of beauty.

There are numerous options for people to choose from, but here are nine of the sexiest moments of the Games so far.

Swimmers and Their Abs

After Italy won bronze in the 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay July 27, Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon, 23, raised his arms in celebration. In doing so, he unintentionally bared his well-cut abs, which had many thirsting on the internet.

Triple Play

For the first time in Olympic gymnastics history, three Black athletes shared a podium, with Rebeca Andrade of Brazil earning gold in the women’s floor exercise final, Simone Biles receiving silver and Jordan Chiles taking bronze. At one point, while they were on the podium, Biles and Chiles, both of the United States, bowed down to Andrade.

Each had their “face cards” locked down, with floor routines rife with sexy moments. Chiles had a wink to the camera when she opened her routine, Biles had her hand over her mouth when she closed out hers and Andrade impressed with her confident fluid movements to a soundtrack of Brazilian funk.

Suspended in Midair

Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina, 30, was the subject of one of the most eye-catching photographs at this Olympics. In it, he defies gravity as he floats in the air and poses with one finger pointed toward the sky, his surfboard parallel to him, seemingly mimicking his stance. Aside from being the subject of a stunning photo, Medina took bronze at the surfing competition, which was held in Tahiti — 9,800 miles from Paris.

Rumors of Romance

Devin Booker, an NBA star and a player for the U.S. men’s basketball team, shared a video on Instagram of the footage he captured from the stands at the women’s individual all-around final in gymnastics. He recorded routines on a camcorder like a proud parent, cheering on Sunisa Lee, Biles and Andrade, with his teammates, including Steph Curry, sitting next to him. During Lee’s floor routine, he chanted “Vamos, vamos!”

Proposals

Love has been in the air at the Games, with at least six proposals involving athletes taking place so far.

After breaking the European women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase record Tuesday, French athlete Alice Finot celebrated by proposing to her boyfriend, Bruno Martínez Bargiela, in the stands. She proposed with an Olympic pin that reads “Love is in Paris.”

On Friday, French skiff sailing partners Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon were proposed to by their boyfriends after winning bronze in the women’s skiff 49erFX.

And last week, Chinese badminton player Liu Yuchen proposed to his teammate Huang Ya Qiong with a bouquet of flowers after she won a gold medal in the badminton mixed doubles final.

Showing Confidence — and Versatility

When Noah Lyles, 27, won gold in the men’s 100-meter, he did so wearing a diamond-covered chain-link necklace, pearls in his hair and nails that featured stars, a cross and a lightning bolt in red, white and blue. After claiming the title of the world’s fastest man by fractions of a second, Lyles, who is known for performing well under pressure, exclaimed to a camera, “I told you America, I got this.” (Later, he inspired some debate by winning bronze in the 200-meter after he had been diagnosed with COVID-19.)

Gabby Thomas won gold in the 200 meters, adding another line to her ridiculous résumé. (Source: Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times)

Two days later, another stylish American runner, Gabby Thomas, 27, won gold in the women’s 200-meter — proving she can do it all. Back home, she graduated from Harvard University with a degree in neurobiology and earned a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in epidemiology from the University of Texas. Her day job is volunteering at a health care clinic.

The Sharpshooters

Many people on social media reimagined the pistol shooters at the Olympics as characters from action movies.

There was Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, who nonchalantly competed with both eyes open, no special equipment (i.e., ear protector, specialized lens, eye cover) and one hand in his pocket. Dikec, 51, took silver in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event, his country’s first medal in shooting. When he found out about his internet stardom, Dikec told the Turkish media, “I did not need special equipment. I’m a natural, a natural shooter.”

Casual.

And then there was the Korean shooter Choe Dae-han. In a photo that spread quickly online, Dae-han is seen wearing a cyberpunk leather jacket and shooting with a deep arched back.

The Legend and the Future

After winning his fourth gold medal at his first Olympic Games, French swimmer Léon Marchand, 22, held up four fingers at the end of the 200-meter individual medley race. When asked how he was feeling after becoming the fourth swimmer to win four golds at the same Olympics, Marchand said, “I was more relaxed than usual, because I won three gold medals before.” Light work.

An Act of Kindness

After a dominant 4-0 win over the U.S. men’s soccer team, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, 25, consoled American soccer player Kevin Paredes, 21. Hakimi, a defender for Paris St.-Germain, knelt down to comfort Paredes, who was crying. Hakimi lifted him up, put his arm around his neck and walked down the soccer field with him. Morocco went on to beat Egypt on Thursday, earning the bronze medal.

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