The ongoing 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris are just past their halfway point, but already there have been some truly memorable moments—and with it, no shortage of controversy. It began with the Opening Ceremonies but has since stirred up no shortage of considerable debate on social media.
Users on the platforms were almost as quick as gold medalist Noah Lyles in questioning the rules of the 100-meter sprint in determining a winner—which, for the record clearly states that it is a runner’s torso that must be first across the line, not the runner’s foot.
Likewise, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif found herself at the center of a controversy over gender, while French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati received likely a bit more attention on the social platforms than he may have liked after a video went viral suggesting a “bulge” in his shorts cost him a medal! In Ammirati’s case, a closer view of the video shows that his knee hit the bar. Moreover, while he also failed in all three attempts, nine other men hit the mark.
“Everyone loves to chime in and talk about the Olympic athletes, but it needs to be remembered that Olympians are people too, and we should try our best to highlight their accomplishments over bringing controversies, negatives, and ‘what’s next’ questions to mainstream media,” suggested Jenna Guarneri, founder & CEO at JMG Public Relations.
“Huge pop culture events, like the Olympics, have always sparked conversation in the media and our inner circles,” added David Watkins, publicist and account manager at Otter Public Relations.
Watkins said that the difference nowadays is that social media gives everyone a platform for opinions to potentially go viral, whether they are based in fact or not.
“This mixed with the prevalence of misinformation online, makes for a nasty pairing when people share discourse and debate online,” warned Watkins.
Social Media=Less Focus On the Performances
Perhaps the biggest trend on social media this year has been that the performances have often been overshadowed by the controversies and appearance of the athletes. It should be added that another French athlete, springboard diver Jules Bouyer also went viral for his tight swimsuit, and reportedly asked fans to focus on his performance—not his appearance.
“The speed, amplification, broader reach, and ability to build and engage in real-time conversations around Olympic moments have shifted the dynamic of how the games are covered and consumed. Social media empowers users to decide what they find interesting, endearing, and newsworthy,” explained Paul Miser, executive vice president and group director at marketing firm The How Agency.
“While social media can have its downsides due to a small number of users with negative intentions, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. Social media’s speed and reach allowed Stephen Nedoroscik to gain recognition and capitalize on his fame while still in Paris, in the midst of the competition,” added Miser. “When social media rallies behind an athlete who may not otherwise receive media attention or even medal, it provides opportunities for those individuals to succeed in other ways, especially as interest translates into followers.”
Yet, Small Stories Still Getting Attention
On the positive side of things, social media has indeed enabled some competitors to have their moment in the spotlight. Rarely do the “shooting” stars of the Olympic Games get much more than a passing mention. This certainly wasn’t the case this year.
South Korea’s Kim Yeji became an Internet sensation, who is now the theme of numerous memes for her all-too-cool stance in the pistol competition, in which she earned a silver medal. The same held true of Turkish sports shooter Yusuf Dikec for what appeared to be a far more casual attitude.
Neither of the shooters is new to the scene, and likely wouldn’t have received much attention—despite each winning silver—were it not for social media.
“The Olympic #shootingsport stars we didn’t know we needed,” @Olympics posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, highlighting the two unique shooting styles.
“Social media can also make unlikely stars. The pistol shooter from Turkey Yusuf Dikec wasn’t a gold medalist. He won silver as a member of his mixed team and was not considered a spectacular athlete compared to others in that sport. He received no attention until his round,” said Baruch Labunski, CEO of SEO firm Rank Secure.
With nearly a week to go, it is likely more stories will go viral, as well as additional controversies.
“These are the real moments that people connect to,” noted Jacinta Gandy, branding and marketing expert at Social Circle. “We often celebrate victories but there is so much more beyond that. We typically view Olympians as heroes, but showing the struggles on social media has humanized them in a way we have not seen before and is bringing these stories to life!”
