TOKYO (AP) — At the Tokyo Video games, athletes have taken to social media in trailblazing methods — with substantial-profile effects. Many Olympians from market sports activities introduced themselves to The united states via viral films, with TikTok the chosen platform.
Here’s a glance at some of the breakout stars.
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MARGIELYN DIDAL
HOMETOWN: Cebu Metropolis, Philippines
Function: Women’s Street Skateboarding (completed 7th out of 8 entrants)
SOCIAL HANDLES:
— TikTok: @margiedidal (1.5 million followers)
— Instagram: @margielyndidal (740k followers)
— Facebook: Margielyn Didal
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALTY: The 22-calendar year-old rose to fame with her infectious positivity at the debut of skateboarding at the Tokyo Olympics. Quite a few of her TikTok videos garner above a single million sights, with just one of her dancing at the Olympic skateboarding location achieving a staggering 16.5 million. An additional clip of Didal dancing with 13-12 months aged competitor and Brazilian phenom Rayssa Leal scored 15.6 million.
DEFINING SOCIAL Instant OF THE Video games: Though a lot of Didal’s fame stems from her TikTok account, her most notable social instant came on Facebook. Didal posted a photograph alongside famed skater Tony Hawk, with the caption “this dude questioned me to choose a picture with him and I allow him mainly because he seems to be like Tony Hawk.”
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JAGGER EATON
Home: Mesa, Arizona
Party: Men’s Street Skateboarding (Bronze Medal Winner)
SOCIAL HANDLES:
— TikTok: @jagger_eaton (72.5k followers)
— Instagram: @jaggereaton (444k followers)
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALTY: Eaton has attained popularity by holistically and shamelessly showcasing particularly who he is: a laid-again, 20-calendar year aged skateboarder. His TikTok account options dancing movies and guiding-the-scenes appears at the existence of a young American phenom named soon after Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.
DEFINING SOCIAL Minute OF THE Online games: Soon after his bronze medal overall performance in the men’s street finals, Eaton went viral on social media for his nonchalant solution to the largest opposition in his occupation. The young star attained notoriety for fans’ attraction to him and his humble strategy to fame.
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COURTNEY HURLEY
HOMETOWN: San Antonio, TX
Function: Fencing – Women’s Epee (Person, removed in round of 32/Workforce – eradicated in quarterfinal)
SOCIAL HANDLES:
— TikTok: @thishurleygurrl (1.9 million overall likes)
— Instagram: @thathurleygurrl (3,844 followers)
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALTY: The self-proclaimed “out-of-condition fencing Olympian” produced jokes on TikTok about losing her fencing match “badly” and not fitting into her uniform. A three-time Olympian, Hurley gave viewers an within seem at lifetime in the Olympic village, in which she shared a area with teammate and more mature sister Kelley and participated in the TikTok pattern of showcasing the team’s challenges.
DEFINING SOCIAL Instant OF THE Game titles: Hurley gained 3.3 million views on a video clip in which she lip-synced to audio about “minimizing the press” with the caption “When you get everyone hyped to look at your Olympic match only to eliminate badly.” Just one viewer remark, which received approximately 75,000 likes, said “Make it to the Olympics, eliminate badly, and nonetheless keep a sense of humor about it? That’s gold-worthy in my e book!”
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RAYSSA LEAL
HOMETOWN: Imperatriz, Brazil
Function: Women’s Street Skateboarding (silver medalist)
SOCIAL HANDLES:
— TikTok: @jrayssaleal (3.4 million followers)
— Instagram: @rayssalealsk8 (6.5 million followers)
— Twitter: @rayssaleal (416.2k followers)
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALTY: At just 13 several years outdated, Leal’s account is reliable and features her youth and positive angle. She danced with skateboarding competition and performs tricks at the skatepark. A lot of of Leal’s uploads to TikTok are the common dancing video clip, which unlike a ordinary teenager’s, rack up sights in the thousands and thousands.
DEFINING SOCIAL Minute OF THE Games: Just after her medal-profitable skateboarding functionality in Tokyo, Leal’s social media exploded. Her most well known video, at 15.4 million views, displays her soothing in front of the Tokyo metropolis lights.
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ILONA MAHER
Residence: San Diego, California
Event: Rugby Sevens (removed in quarterfinals)
SOCIAL HANDLES
— TikTok: @ilonamaher (24.3 million overall likes)
— Instagram: @ilonamaher (79k followers)
— Twitter: @ilona_maher
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALTY: Maher gave TikTok viewers an inside of seem at daily life inside the Olympic Village with rocking a tie-dye Crew United states bucket hat.
DEFINING SOCIAL Minute OF THE Game titles: Like quite a few other athletes in the Olympic Village, Maher and her rugby sevens teammates examined out the cardboard beds in athlete housing. In the TikTok movie that gained about 7 million views, Maher and teammates are demonstrated executing CPR on the bed, undertaking yoga, throwing a tantrum, beating up a phony robber, and more.
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ERIK SHOJI
HOMETOWN: Honolulu, Hawaii
Party: Men’s volleyball (removed from pool play)
SOCIAL HANDLES:
— TikTok: @thelibero (9.2 million whole likes)
— Instagram: @erikshoji (75.1k followers)
— Twitter: @shojinator (15.2k followers)
— YouTube: Erik Shoji (64.1k subscribers)
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALTY: Shoji, a two-time Olympian and bronze medalist at the Rio Game titles, specialised in day by day vlogs documenting his encounter in the Olympic village. He frequently posts social media challenges or traits that includes his teammates.
DEFINING SOCIAL Second OF THE Online games: Shoji has 1.1 million sights on a video clip documenting arrival processes at the Tokyo airport. A next online video of Shoji tests the cardboard beds with teammate and roommate Taylor Sander received 3.2 million views.
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SILVIA SOLYMOSYOVA
HOMETOWN: Bratislava, Slovakia
Function: Creative swimming (Senior and Junior Countrywide Slovak Group Member)
SOCIAL HANDLES:
— TikTok: @sisa_solymosyova (1.2 million followers)
— Instagram: @sisa_solymosyova (77.3k followers)
— YouTube: Silvia Solymosyova
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALTY: Although not however an Olympian, Solymosyova received 1.2 million TikTok followers by putting up quite a few kinds of videos — dancing, duets with other customers, and Q&As about synchronized swimming —-all underwater. The 18-12 months-outdated Slovakian films herself dancing to the most current tendencies in goggles, a swim cap, and nose clip. She has much more than 30 million likes on her TikTok video clips.
DEFINING SOCIAL Second OF THE Games: Solymosyova has garnered 42 million sights on a TikTok write-up that exhibits her dancing to a remix of “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion — carried out underwater.