A moment for the unofficial MVPs of Paris 2024

Raygun (Rachael Gunn)

Nation: Australia

Sport: Breakdancing

This B-girl needs absolutely no introduction. You’ve most definitely seen Raygun’s viral Olympics performance – and her signature kangaroo move, which is a hot contender for the defining meme of the 2024 Olympics – and while she didn’t take home a medal (let alone advance to the second round), she most certainly stole hearts around the world. Needless to say, some couldn’t handle the cringe-factor of her, erm, creative performance. But as a friend said to me on the weekend, “to be cringe is to be free”.

Anthony Ammirati

Nation: France

Sport: pole vaulting

He didn’t make it into the final, but Frenchman Anthony Ammirati did achieve Olympic notoriety (and gained thousands of Instagram followers) after his crown jewels nicked the pole and dashed his hopes of a medal. You win some and you lose some.

Matthew Ebden’s great redemption

Nationality: Australian

Sport: tennis

After Novak Djokovic wiped the court with him in the first round of the Olympics men’s singles – half way through the match, Ebden jokingly tried to hand his racquet to a spectator as if to say, ‘you could do better than me’ – Western Australia’s Matthew Ebden performed the comeback of the century, winning gold in the men’s doubles competition alongside partner John Peers.

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart

Nation: USA?

Sport: moonlighting as Dressage riders

There is no doubt left in our minds that Snoop Dogg is THE 2024 Olympics MVP. We didn’t have his enthusiasm for the game on our bingo card, but the most unexpected mascots are always the best. Over the weekend, he brought close pal Martha Stewart along to the dressage final, the besties decked out in equestrian gear, right up to safety-issued helmets. No notes.

Gabriel Medina, the flying surfer

Nation: Brazil

Sport: Surfing

On a distant reef 16,000 kilometres away from the grand stages of Paris, the waves in Taihiti were perhaps the grandest of all for Brazil’s Gabriel Medina. Although there were no wins for the surfer, the conditions on the waves were no less perfect for Medina’s airborne celebration – already making itself one of the defining shots of the 2024 Olympics.

Kim Ye-ji and athlete’s ‘aura’

Nation: South Korea

Sport: Shooting

Someone call the Wachowski sisters and get this woman in the next Matrix movie. Her chin tilted up, her apathetic gaze fixed on her target, this is the type of athlete’s ‘aura’ that breaks records. South Korean sharpshooter Kim Ye-ji took home silver in the women’s 10-metre air pistol event, and a legion of new fans with her.

Snoop Dogg (again) in team USA merch

Nation: USA… we guess?

Sport: Vibes

You wear your beige linen suits to Wimbledon. Tennis whites to the Australian Open. But what do you wear to the Olympics? Snoop Dogg certainly dressed up for the occasion, sporting multiple variations of T-shirts with the faces of Team USA athletes on them, and even a dressage kit to the equestrian final. While watching Coco Gauff in the women’s tennis event, the rapper was spotted with Gauff on his shirt while having a legends-only link up with Billie Jean King. Who had this on their bingo card? Not us.

Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast

Nation: USA

Sport: Gymnastics

Some Olympic sports might make you wonder if you could push for a medal if you committed yourself. Not gymnastics though, and especially not when Simone Biles is involved. The American Gymnast drew the A-list crowds and subsequently wowed them during her triumphant return to the Olympic stage, creating one of Paris’ most memorable Olympic moments.

Matthew Dawson and his missing finger

Nation: Australia

Sport: Hockey

Look, I’m all for a dedicated athlete, it’s what makes seeing our favourites win that much more savoury. But two weeks before the Olympics while training in Perth, Australian hockey player Matthew Dawson broke his right ring finger. Not wanting to wait in recovery, and not wanting to miss out on this year’s Games, Dawson chose amputation a chunk of his finger over a cast.

@ilonamaher Moves were made @paris2024 #olympicvilla ♬ original sound – Ilona Maher

Ilona Maher and the Love Island-isation of the Olympic village

Nation: USA

Sport: Rugby 7s

Every Olympics, rumours abound about the supposedly raucous love lives of the residents of the Olympic village. Actual insight into these goings on are rare though, but rugby player Ilona Maher not only brought the Olympic village to TikTok, she rebranded it as the Olympic villa while documenting the trials and tribulations of dating at the epicentre of the world’s attention.

@henrikchristians1 When bae is looking like a snack #fyp #olympics #paris2024 #olympictiktok #olympicvillage #muffins @Olympics @paris2024 ♬ original sound – mywatchhistory

Henrik Christianson and his love for muffins

Nation: Norway

Sport: Swimming

Who had muffin man being the breakout star of the Olympics on their Paris 2024 bingo card? Not us, but we’re not complaining. Muffin man – or rather, Henrik Christianson – found himself obsessed with a particular sweet treat from the Olympic village’s bakery early on in the Games and has since been sharing increasingly unhinged TikToks of his experiences, attracting plenty of followers in the process.

The nonchalance of Yusuf Dikec

Nation: Turkey

Sport: Shooting

Yusuf Dikec is the polar opposite of Kim Ye-ji. Where some shooters deck themselves out in gear, Dikec opts for a decidedly simpler kit. The Turk wore no protective earwear, specialised lenses or eye cover on his way to a silver medal. Instead, he went with a plain T-shirt and glasses. He finished with the same medal as the heavily dripped-out Kim Ye-Ji, so we can’t definitively prove if one approach is better than the other.