Paris Olympics smash viewership records; athletes become stars
The Olympic Games in Paris capture the world's attention. Millions of people around the globe watch the athletes' struggles, and as they fight for Olympic medals, they also win the hearts of fans. Medalists can also count on substantial rewards.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the official broadcaster of the event, reported that just two days were enough for the Olympic Games in Paris to surpass the previous ones in Tokyo in terms of viewership.
The broadcaster added that in terms of the number of minutes watched in Europe, the event in Paris reached 75 percent of the total viewership of the previous Olympics in just two days.
Alongside well-known sports stars, new heroes have emerged. Thanks to their performances, these heroes have already become heroes of these Games and won the hearts of fans.
This look made fans fall in love with the Korean
Two Koreans, Oh Ye Jin and Kim Yeji, won gold and silver medals in the women's 10-metre air pistol final at the Paris Olympics. Kim became a fan favourite and a star, all thanks to a recording from the World Championships in Baku, circulating online.
Kim won a gold medal there. The Korean impressed viewers when the camera showed her as she took her shot. Her gaze caught the attention. Commentators on the recording argued that she would be perfect as an action film heroine.
"Clark Kent" won a medal for the USA after 16 years
Stephen Nedoroscik has become a hero in the United States because he helped his team win a bronze medal, the first in gymnastics in 16 years. Nedoroscik has also become a new star on TikTok and other social media. What captivated the fans so much?
"Like comic book Clark Kent, in a few seconds, he transforms from a bookish nerd into the king of the pommel horse," writes the portal elle.pl.
The media noted that the athlete has a squint, which means his eyes do not align parallelly. On a daily basis, he wears glasses, which he removed before his performance because he didn't want them to fall off. He later explained that although his vision wasn't good, in this sport, what's most important is to feel the apparatus he's performing "acrobatics" on, not hawk-like vision.
Online, the clip showing the athlete calmly awaiting his turn and then boldly fighting for the medal became a hit.
He won a medal with his hand in his pocket
Fans also went wild for the 51-year-old Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, who, together with his partner Sevval Ilyady, won a silver medal in the 10-metre team air pistol competition.
All thanks to the style in which the Turk won the Olympic medal.
He gave up all the "equipment" usually used by competitors in this event. He calmly approached the position. He held the air pistol in one hand, and the other hand was in his trouser pocket. He looked as if he had accidentally found himself on the arena, was given a pistol, and took a shot worthy of a medal.
Photos and recordings of the 51-year-old quickly spread online and became a hit on social media.
What can athletes expect? Hong Kong the most generous
According to Forbes, 33 of the 206 countries and territories participating in the Games offer cash prizes for gold medals. Of these, 15 pay their athletes over 135,000 Canadian dollars for a gold medal.
Interestingly, Hong Kong is the most generous. Athletes representing this region who win a gold medal can receive 1,070,000 Canadian dollars. Israel ranks second with 374,000 Canadian dollars, followed by Serbia with 296,000 Canadian dollars.
In "Forbes"' ranking, the United States is far from the top. Americans who win a gold medal can expect a bonus of 50,700 Canadian dollars.
Besides the prize, the best Polish athletes who win medals in Paris receive many different bonuses, such as a flat.
