From Vinesh Phogat to Yusuf Dikec, here are Paris Olympics’ most talked about athletes

From record-shattering performances to heartwarming moments of triumph, the Paris Olympics 2028 has left an indelible mark.

As the Paris Olympics has come to an end, the Indian Express brings you the untold stories of Games’ most talked about athletes.

Yusuf Dikec

Turkish pistol shooter Yusuf Dikec has gone viral on social media for his seemingly casual attitude while shooting his way to a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics.

The most-shared images show Dikec shooting in a T-shirt with one hand in his pocket, a seemingly standard pair of glasses and an impassive look on his face. He’s been likened to a regular guy competing at the Olympics, or even a hitman.

Stephen Nederoscik

Stephen Nederoscik’s deadpan reaction stole the show. A viral clip captures the American gymnastics team erupting in jubilation, while Nederoscik sits calmly, unfazed, and bespectacled, providing a hilariously contrasting moment of stoic serenity amidst chaotic celebration

Kim Yeji

South Korean pistol shooter Kim Yeji’s confident demeanour and dramatic stance have brought praise on social media for her “main character energy”.

Giorgia Villa

Giorgia Villa missed the Tokyo Olympics because of a sprained ankle. At the Paris Games, despite lingering back injuries, the 21-year-old gymnast made history.

Giorgia Villa was part of Italy’s silver medal-winning women’s team in the all-round event in gymnastics at the Paris Olympics. But she has gone viral for old images of her posing with wheels of cheese.

With their silver medal behind the Simone Biles-led U.S. team’s gold, Angela Andreoli, Alice D’Amato, Manila Esposito, Elisa Iorio and Villa matched Italy’s best result in Olympic gymnastics, a feat the country achieved in 1928.

But it wasn’t that solid performance that made her a social media sensation. It’s her previous role as an ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese that has put her in the spotlight.

Ilona Maher

Ilona Maher angled for a shot on reality TV show “Love Island” after leading the United States to a heart-stopping late victory that gave the US its first-ever a medal, a bronze, in rugby sevens.

She used her social media platforms before the Games to promote body positivity and inclusivity, urging fans to celebrate athletes of all shapes and sizes.

Vinesh Phogat

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for a shared silver medal after she was disqualified from an Olympic final for missing weight.

Vinesh Phogat after winning her Women’s Freestyle 50kg Round of 16 wrestling match against Japan’s Yui Susaki at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France. (PTI Photo/File)

Vinesh was disqualified after weighing in at 100 grams above the weight limit. Instead of becoming India’s first woman to compete in an Olympic final, she was denied a medal. She appealed, requesting credit for the three wins she earned after weighing in successfully. The court said a judge in Paris held a hearing Friday in her case against United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee.

Vinesh had also announced her retirement. “My courage is broken, I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling, 2001-2024,” she wrote on X.

Claire Michel

Belgium’s Olympic committee withdred its team from the mixed relay triathlon at the Paris Olympics after one of its competitors who swam in the Seine River fell ill. Michel was one of several triathletes who got sick after swimming in the Seine.

Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles has crowned the fastest man in the world for winning the 100 meters, but after he finished third in the 200 — his first loss in his favourite event since the Tokyo Olympics three years ago — he later revealed he had tested positive for Covid-19.

Imane Khelif

Gold medalist Algeria’s Imane Khelif kisses her medal for the women’s 66 kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics. (AP)

Imane Khelif endured intense scrutiny in the ring and online abuse from around the world over misconceptions about her womanhood and still won gold in the women’s welterweight division.

“I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman and I am qualified,” Khelif said after her victory.

Anthony Ammirati

French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati found offers coming his way — granted, from porn company CamSoda — after he was eliminated from the Paris Olympics because he couldn’t clear the bar. The reason? It had gotten stuck on his crotch and knocked down, resulting in a 12th-place finish.

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Thomas Ceccon

Olympic gold medallist Thomas Ceccon was spotted sleeping in a park after complaining about the living conditions in the Games Village at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Italian had won gold medal in the men’s 100m backstroke event and slammed complained publicly about the accommodations in the Olympic Village.

Raygun

Raygun of Australia in action. (Reuters)

Rachael Gunn, or “b-girl Raygun,” a 36-year-old professor from Sydney, Australia, quickly achieved internet fame, but not necessarily for Olympic-level skill. Competing against some b-girls half her age, she was swept out of the round-robin stage without earning a single point, and her unconventional moves landed flat while failing to match the skill level of her foes.

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