Summer 2024 in Paris hasn’t just seen the city bloom with Olympian athleticism; it’s also basking in an infectious wave of otaku energy. The 2024 Olympics have been peppered with a barrage of tributes and homages to Japanese pop culture, with athletes across disciplines striking poses and performing rituals that would make even the most seasoned weeb smile knowingly.
Take, for instance, America’s fleet-footed dynamo Noah Lyles. As the “world’s fastest otaku” lined up at the starting block during his qualifiers in June, he nonchalantly pulled out a Yu-Gi-Oh! card and theatrically summoned the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon. The pre-race quirk of sorts seemed to have channeled him with the energy to propel Lyles forward with otherworldly shounen speed that has now landed him the Olympic gold in the men’s 100-meter final in a jaw-dropping 9.78 seconds. Wrapped in stars and stripes, Lyles capped off his win with a triumphant Kamehameha pose from Dragon Ball.
Not just confined to Lyles, the otaku spirit resonated throughout the competitions, manifesting in various athletes’ unique celebrations. The French fencing team, hot off their bronze medal win, seems to have taken this Goku-inspired spirit to heart, performing a synchronized Kamehameha in a scene of pure anime gold, with the stadium roaring in approval. Meanwhile, the Dragon Ball Ultra Instinct theme also played in the stadium before the 400m mixed relay race, adding an extra layer of excitement.
Switching sports, the German volleyball player Tobias Krick brought his favorite plushie, Tsukishima from Haikyuu!!, to his games, mirroring his animated counterpart’s role as a blocker. Volleyball itself has seen an unexpected surge in popularity, thanks in no small part to Haikyuu!!. A Mainichi poll revealed that Gen Z viewers overwhelmingly chose volleyball as their Olympic favorite, lured by the anime’s dynamic portrayal of the sport. The Japanese Men’s Volleyball team was even greeted with Haikyuu!!’s intro song in Paris, with fans showing up in cosplay, turning the stands into a delightful mix of jocks and otakus.
American shot putter Payton Otterdahl added his own page to this Olympic anime anthology. Emulating Luffy from One Piece, Otterdahl’s pre-competition ritual involved mimicking the pirate’s Gear Fourth Boundman form, seemingly giving him superhuman strength for a near-podium finish.
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Chinese rifle shooter Zhang Qiongyue also stole hearts with her viral Hello Kitty-adorned rifle, making headlines and turning her weapon into the cutest meme machine on social media. The British 4×400 Mixed Relay team celebrated their podium finish by forming the hand sign for Gojo’s Domain Expansion from Jujutsu Kaisen, adding to the anime frenzy that seemed to grip the Games.
But the sensations that took the internet by storm the most at this year’s Olympics hailed from the competitive shooting events. South Korea’s Kim Yeji, a silver medalist in the 10-meter air pistol event, inspired fans to create anime-style posters celebrating her “main character energy.” Meanwhile, Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, with his unassuming, gearless Olympic getup, became an Internet sensation dubbed “Uncle Free-to-Play,” his image immortalized in manga tributes that captured his unique charm. Even South Korean shooter Choe Dae-han’s stylish posture, earning him 7th place in the 10m air rifle event, was reimagined by fans in the style of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures.
The anime-fueled spectacles at the Paris Olympics aren’t the first time athletes have flexed their inner weeb on the world stage. Rewind to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Greek long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou launched himself into Luffy’s Gear Second pose straight out of One Piece, snatching gold in the process. Italian race walker Massimo Stano struck a similar stance, also walking away with gold.
Otterdahl himself shot to fame for the first time that year, having performed Franky’s “SUPER!” pose from One Piece before hurling his way into the finals. Most recently, Italian runner Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli channeled his inner pirate by striking Luffy’s Gear 5 pose before the 110m hurdles semifinal in Paris. Though he missed the podium, he had earlier bagged silver at the European Championship in Rome, where he upped the ante with a “Nika” pose, draped in the Italian flag, straw hat perched jauntily atop his head, boldly proclaiming himself as Monkey D. Luffy incarnate.
If anything, the Paris Olympics seem to be proof that anime has leveled up from niche, nerdy obsession to a global phenomenon, effortlessly fusing with the grandeur of the world’s greatest sporting event.
In the end, this fascinating synthesis of athleticism and anime underscores a broader cultural shift—one where borders fade, and human achievement is celebrated in diverse, exuberant ways. The 2024 Paris Olympics will not only be remembered for its athletic feats but also for how it brought the spirit of anime into the global spotlight.
