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Revel in the funny side of Rio 2016 with memes, reactions, and parents

10 Aug 2016

Rio Olympics

Rio 2016 Olympic Games image via Wikimedia Commons

With the Rio 2016 Olympic Games now well underway, the serious side of winning and losing is becoming apparent. However, the funny side has also emerged.

So far, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has been dogged by controversy, from Russian drug use prior to the event, through to ongoing athlete feuds and weird, green pools.

The US has reached the top of the medal table, a position it is sure to hang on to, while smaller nations like the Philippines, Kosovo and Vietnam have climbed to the No 1 section of the podium for the first time.

Rio 2016 Olympic Games

But what about the trivial humour us underachieving viewers back home long for? The memes, the Vines, the funny videos of often new celebrities being a bit more human.

Well, they have already started to pour in, even before anybody has made it onto the athletics track, which is when the viewing figures really start to spike.

First up, we have Leslie Jones, the Ghostbusters star who enjoyed the opening days of the Games so much, and shared her experiences so well, that NBC has given her a job presenting in Rio for the latter half of the tournament.

So, soon, viewers will be able to enjoy Jones actually at the Olympics talking to experts, rather than trying to work out the nuances of Olympic handball from the confused comfort of her own home.

Don’t go chasing waterfalls

Then, of course, the meme. When global superstar Michael Phelps was getting ready for his 200m butterfly semi-final, Chad Le Clos, one of the few men to ever beat Phelps in the event, started shadow-boxing.

Harmless warming up, trying to get into Phelps’ head, or merely getting rid of some nervous energy bundled up inside him, Le Clos drew the stare. The stare drew the internet.

Dreams of China in your hand

Staying with the pool, Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui’s excited, seemingly innocent reaction to her own performances have put her front and centre of any internet Olympic love-in.

“Whoooaah! I was so fast!,” explained Fu after she clocked 58.95 seconds, coming in third in the women’s 100m backstroke semi-final on Monday. Thinking she had not broken the impressive 59-second barrier, she said her “mystic energy” was the key.

The video proved so popular that many people sought a follow-up. After the final, in which Fu took the bronze medal, they were not disappointed. Again, she was unaware of how well she did.

Twist and shout

Lastly, we should head into the gymnastics arena, where some pretty outstanding events have already taken place. The US team dominated the women’s team event, winning by a huge margin, thanks to superstar Simone Biles leading the line.

Though Aly Raisman, who also excelled across the disciplines, can rest safe in the knowledge that her gold medal is backed up by another instalment of cringe-worthy parents.

Another? Well, they did the same at London four years ago…

Related: sport, memes, trending

Gordon Hunt was a journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com