Athletes are using social media to give behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Paris Olympics, posting dances, celebrating medals and giving the public an insight into life in the Olympic Village.
TikTok posts in particular attract the attention of millions of people, as athletes show off their uniforms, Olympic merchandise and the food offered in the athletes’ village.
Australian athletes such as gold medal-winning canoeist Jessica Fox, Australia’s first Muslim female boxer at the Olympics Tina Rahimi and tennis star Daria Saville have attracted significant attention through their coverage of the Games on social media.
Journalist and sports content creator Lavender Baj told SBS News that the athlete-produced content on social media “has given us a glimpse into the village that satisfies our reality TV-fuelled curiosity in a way no one expected”.
Baj said the details captured, from the floating surfing village in Tahiti to the chocolate muffins in the Olympic Village dining room made famous by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen, take the audience on a journey through the Olympics unlike anything we’ve seen before.
“We’ve essentially given the Olympics the Drive to Survive treatment and it baffles me that no TV network has greenlit a reality show for this,” Baj said, referring to Netflix’s reality show about Formula 1 racing.
In addition to the humorous details and dance videos, Baj said the social media content allows the audience to have a more intimate emotional connection with the athletes, sharing their defeats as well as their victories.
Fox documents her feelings and joy after her consecutive gold medal wins in canoeing. However, the audience also witnesses the reality of losing, such as boxer Harry Garside’s documentation of his early defeat by Hungarian Richard Kovacs.
Garside posted an emotional video on his TikTok in which he said he “screamed a few times, cried a few times” after the loss.
“We all hate to fail, we all hate to not succeed, we all hate to aim high and fall on our faces,” Garside said.
“But I’m so grateful that the most important thing I’ve learned over the last 20 years is to be my own friend and be kind to myself.”
Garside also said he was grateful for the support of the Australian public for the video, which has been viewed more than 440,000 times.
“While we are all devastated by his loss, sharing this personal story not only makes us feel more connected to him than ever (no doubt due to the years of journey he has shared online in the run-up to Paris 2024),” Baj said.
“But it also conveys an important message about defeat, failure and perseverance to young people that would not have been conveyed in a short TV interview.”
What else have Australian athletes shared online?
The opening ceremony
Rahimi, who will face Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the boxing ring early on Saturday morning (AEST), posted several behind-the-scenes videos from 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: “Had to lead an Aussie chant. I’m just so happy to be here!!!”
She has documented several aspects of her Olympic journey and explanation of the rules surrounding the wearing of the hijab during the games in late July, which was viewed more than 2.8 million times. Rahimi said she will be allowed to compete in her hijab, even though France has banned headscarves for its own athletes.
She also posted a recording their arrival in Paris for the Games.
The Olympic Village
The explosion of social media content in Paris began before the opening ceremony, when athletes discovered the quality of the beds in the Olympic Village. Videos also went viral of bedroom tours and athletes removing the top sheets to reveal the thin mattresses and cardboard bases of the beds.
aPosted by water polo player Tilly Kearns showing the village beds in detail has garnered over 1.1 million views. Kearns says the beds are “rock solid” and tries to flip the mattress over to the softer side, only to find she’d already slept on it.
Kearns later said the team’s manager had provided mattress toppers for the team.
Many athletes have also posted reviews and complaints about the food and facilities in the village.
Saville placed with a caption stating that the rooms are not serviced like hotels would “so you have to get your own toilet paper”. The video showed her at the front desk asking for a pack of toilet paper rolls and laughing with a staff member when she asked for “three rolls for four of us girls”.
Saville has also posted videos of her getting a free haircut in the village and of her and fellow tennis player Ellen Perez testing the sturdiness of the cardboard beds by sprinting across them, throwing rackets at them and doing the worm dance on the blankets.
Merchandise and uniforms
Australian athletes pay a lot of attention to their uniforms, with many of them showing off their full uniforms on social media.
Saville posted a video showing the various Australian Olympic uniforms changing outfits, which has been viewed more than 17.4 million times.
Matildas players Mackenzie Arnold and Alanna Kennedy posted a viral prank video that took place on a in their Olympic gear, mocking how they looked in the full skirt and tights design. The video has been viewed more than 42 million times.
Olympians have also posted videos of the free merchandise they receive in the village and the prizes that come with gold medals.
Rahimi postedShe showed her audience what she received with the Australian Olympic kit, including a new model mobile phone given to all athletes competing in the Paris Games, two pairs of sneakers, bags, a notebook, an umbrella and a suitcase.
Following her gold medal wins, Fox has also to explain what’s in the long box that athletes get on stage. Fox showed the audience that they were getting a poster with a graphic illustration of Paris, saying it was “unique” and a “really cool concept.”
Fox also posted a TikTok video in which she “de-puffed” her eyes using the cool metal from her gold medals.
Injuries
Athletes have also documented many less glamorous aspects of the Olympics. Kearns has shown damage she claims was done during a water polo match with China on with deep scratches visible along her neck and collarbone.
Kearns sarcastically says that China is her “favorite team to play against.”
Kearns has previously documented a number of injuries she sustained while playing water polo. In 2022, she posted footage of a kick in the neck she received during a match with Italy. There is also footage of her slipping and falling into a swimming pool.
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