Athletes are using social media to give a glimpse behind the scenes of the Paris Olympics, posting dances, medal celebrations, as well as giving audiences insight into life in the Olympic village.
Posts on TikTok in particular are engaging millions of people, as athletes display their uniforms, hauls of Olympic merchandise, and the food on offer in the athletes’ village.
Australian athletes such as gold-medal-winning canoeist Jessica Fox, Australia’s first Olympic female Muslim boxer Tina Rahimi and tennis player Daria Saville have been drawing particular attention for their social media coverage of the Games.
Journalist and sports content creator Lavender Baj told SBS News the social media content produced by athletes has “given us an insight into the village that fills our reality-TV-fuelled curiosities in a way I don’t think anyone expected”.
Baj said that details being documented, from the floating village at the surfing in Tahiti to the chocolate muffins in the Olympic village dining hall made famous by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen, are taking audiences on a journey through the Olympics that has never been seen before.
“We’ve essentially given the Olympics the Drive to Survive treatment and it’s baffling to me that no TV network greenlit an actual reality show for it,” Baj said, referring to the Netflix reality TV show exploring Formula One racing.
Beyond the funny details and dance videos, Baj also said the social media content is giving audiences a more intimate emotional connection with athletes, sharing in their defeats as well as their victories.
Fox has been documenting her feelings and celebration following her back-to-back gold medal wins in canoeing. However, audiences are also witnessing the reality of losses, such as boxer Harry Garside’s documentation of his early defeat to Hungarian Richard Kovacs.
Garside posted an emotional video to his TikTok saying he had “a couple of screams, a couple of cries” after the loss.
“We all hate failing, we all hate not succeeding, we all hate shooting for the stars and falling on our face,” Garside said.
“But I’m so grateful that over the two decades the biggest thing I’ve taken from this is becoming my own friend and being kind to myself.”
Garside also said he was grateful for the support from Australian audiences in the video, which has been viewed more than 440,000 times.
“While we’re all devastated with him, sharing this deeply personal story is not only allowing us to feel more closely connected with him than ever (helped undoubtedly by the years-long journey he’s shared online in the lead-up to Paris 2024),” Baj said.
“But it also delivers an important message about defeat, failure and perseverance to young people that just wouldn’t have cut through in a short TV interview.”
So, what else have Australian athletes been sharing online?
The opening ceremony
Rahimi, who is due to face Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the boxing ring early Saturday morning (AEST), posted multiple videos behind the scenes of the opening ceremony, including a TikTok video in which she leads the Australian Olympic team in a chant of “Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!” on the team’s boat on the Seine.
Rahimi said in the video caption she: “Had to lead an Aussie chant. Im just so excited to be here!!!”
She has been documenting multiple aspects of her Olympic journey and explaining the rules around wearing a hijab at the games in late July that was viewed over 2.8 million times. Rahimi said she’s able to participate in her hijab, although France has banned headscarves for their own athletes.
She also posted an documenting their arrival in Paris for the Games.
The Olympic village
The social media content explosion from Paris started before the opening ceremony, as athletes discovered the quality of the beds in the Olympic village and videos went viral of bedroom tours and athletes peeling back top sheets to reveal thin mattresses and the cardboard base of the beds.
Aposted by water polo player Tilly Kearns showing the village beds in detail has gained over 1.1 million views. Kearns says the beds are “rock solid” and tries to flip the mattress to the softer side only to discover that she had already been sleeping on it.
Kearns later updated that the team’s manager had provided mattress toppers for the team.
Many athletes have also been posting reviews — and complaints — about the food and amenities in the village.
Saville posted with a caption explaining the rooms don’t get services like hotels would “so you have to get your own toilet paper”. The video showed her visiting reception to ask for a packet of toilet paper rolls and laughing with an attendant as she asked for “three rolls for four of us girls”.
Saville has also posted videos of her receiving a free haircut in the village and testing out the strength of the cardboard beds with fellow tennis player Ellen Perez by sprinting on top of one, throwing racquets at it and doing the worm dance on top of the covers.
Merchandise and uniforms
Uniforms have been a particular point of focus for Australian athletes, with many taking to social media to display their full kits.
Saville posted a video showing outfit changes in the various Australian Olympic uniforms that has amassed over 17.4 million views.
Matildas players Mackenzie Arnold and Alanna Kennedy posted a viral joke video set to a in their Olympic gear making fun of how they looked in the design with a full skirt and leotard. The video has amassed over 42 million views.
Olympians have also been posting videos of the free merchandise they get in the village and the prizes that accompany gold medals.
Rahimi postedshowing her audience what she received in the Australian Olympics kit, including a latest-model mobile phone that has been given to all athletes competing in Paris, two pairs of sneakers, bags, a notebook, an umbrella, and a suitcase.
Following her gold medal wins, Fox has also to explain what is inside the long box that athletes receive on the podium. Fox showed audiences that they received a poster with a graphic illustration of Paris, saying that it was “unique” and a “really cool concept”.
Fox also posted a TikTok video showing her “depuffing” her eyes using the cool metal of her gold medals.
