Whether you anxiously await the Summer Olympics every four years or gave up cable TV years ago, you have likely seen the memes from this year’s Paris Olympics. Olympic athletes have become more than world-class champions this year—they are now TikTok influencers, Instagram models, and even “Dancing with the Stars” competitors. Here’s a look at some of my personal favorites.

“Pommel horse guy”

Stephen Nedoroscik, a member of the USA men’s Olympic gymnastics team, went viral after a tweet compared him to Superman. Nedoroscik only competed in the pommel horse event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and wears glasses (which he takes off to compete) due to two different eye conditions. One user compared the gymnast’s glasses to Clark Kent’s, and how he slept before performing the pommel horse routine to that of a sleeper agent.

Nedoroscik really did save the day, as he led his team to winning their first Olympic medal in 16 years. In fact, he has become such a social media sensation that he is competing in season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars”.

Ilona Maher, USA Women’s Olympic Rugby

First gaining online popularity during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Ilona Maher is on the USA women’s Olympic rugby team. She has become well known not just for her athletic skills, but her promotion of body positivity, especially for athletes. Maher recently modeled for Sports Illustrated, aiming to show the world that there is not one “Olympic body type.”

Maher currently has over 2 million followers on TikTok, despite only creating the account in the spring of 2021. Her latest posts feature her rehearsing for the next season of “Dancing with the Stars” along with Steven Nedoroscik (they’re not partners, though). The reason the two aren’t paired is likely that having two viral Olympians on the same team would simply be too much for the internet (and the judges) to handle.

Simone Biles, USA Women’s Olympic Gymnastics

Everyone knows Simone Biles as the USA women’s gymnastics GOAT. (greatest of all time), but she took it to a new level this past summer. After struggling with the twisties, a mental block that occurs when gymnast’s lose their sense of place while in the air, Biles dropped out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. And while this seemed like giving up in her athletic career, she showed the world that mental health should always be a priority.

This summer, Biles came back better than ever. She won a silver medal for floor routine and an all-around gold, making her the most decorated American gymnast in history. Keep in mind that Biles accomplished this at 27 years old, while the peak performance age for female gymnasts used to be considered to be around age 16. After this incredible performance, Biles has left the conversation about the 2028 Olympics open, though she hasn’t made an official statement yet about whether she will participate. Whether she continues her Olympic career or not, Biles has certainly made a mark in gymnastics history.

Biles has become so much more than an athlete: she is a role model for young girls, a mental health advocate, and an overall icon. She too has a large following on social media and posted several videos with teammates this summer. She even talked about her ideas for TikToks with teammate Suni Lee almost immediately after winning gold.

Snoop Dogg

If you haven’t seen the videos of Snoop Dogg during the 2024 Paris Olympics, you may be wondering how the iconic rapper fits into the Olympic Games. The truth is, he doesn’t— but his role as an NBC correspondent for Olympic coverage may have been just what viewers needed. Snoop could be seen commenting on sporting events he knew nothing about, learning Olympic skills alongside world famous athletes, and cheering on Team USA, especially Simone Biles. Snoop has always been an icon, but this new role was truly perfect for him.

Rachael Gunn, a.k.a. Raygun, a.k.a. that Australian breakdancer

Now, not all of the Olympic athletes received positive feedback on their performances. Among the worst cases of criticism was Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn (known as Raygun), who finished in last place this summer. Users across social media platforms claimed that her moves were so simple that anyone could perform them, and even “The Tonight Show” featured an appearance of comedic actress Rachel Dratch imitating Raygun’s Olympic performance.

Breaking, commonly known as breakdancing, saw its Olympic debut this year. This is a controversial topic online, as many people don’t deem this a sport or don’t understand how it’s scored. According to the official Olympic website, breaking is judged based on areas of criteria including creativity, musicality, and technique. The breaker with the most total points from the panel of judges wins.

Gunn’s performance received backlash due to its questionable status as an Olympic- level routine. Several of her moves seemed as if they required no technique, according to social media users. Despite this online criticism, Gunn was recently ranked as the No. 1 breaker worldwide. The World DanceSport Federation that created this ranking based it on breakers’ best four performances in the past year, excluding Olympic events and qualifiers. For Raygun, her ranking was achieved due to her first- place win at the Oceania Continental Championships in late 2023. So, while Gunn has received a lot of confusion over her breaking skills, she has succeeded in the breaking world.