A new wave of athletes has been taking the spotlight at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with their remarkable performances. But these Gen Z competitors aren’t just breaking records—they’re reshaping the culture of sports and attracting a younger generation of fans. By bringing their personal style into the game, they show that success today can come with pretty nails, flashy jewellery and many other expressions of individuality, showing the world how fashion and sports can intertwine.
Tatler looks at some standout style choices Gen Z athletes have showcased so far that had the internet in a frenzy.
Huang Yuting’s perfect high bun
Huang Yuting of Team China during the 10m air rifle mixed team gold medal match. (Photo by Ni Minzhe/CHINASPORTS/VCG via Getty Images)
On July 27, Chinese athlete Huang Yuting and her partner Sheng Lihao won gold in the 10m air rifle mixed team event, taking the nation’s first gold medal of the Paris Olympic Games. But it wasn’t just her success that got people talking; the 17-year-old’s high bun, her curtain bangs secured by hair clips, quickly went viral, with the hashtags “Huang Yuting high bun tutorial” and “Huang Yuting’s hair clip is so cute” garnering over 100 million views on Weibo. Hundreds of online merchants began producing identical clips as beauty influencers attempted to recreate her hairstyle. And when Huang returned to China, she shared her tips for a voluminous bun in a live interview, telling the reporter: “Practice makes perfect.”
Qin Haiyang’s supermodel walk
Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang's strut out to the pool for his individual event went viral on social media.
Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang got netizens wondering if he was at Paris Fashion Week.
Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang "in the zone" before his individual event.
Qin Haiyang of Team People's Republic of China walks out ahead of the men's 200m breaststroke semifinals on day four of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Chinese Olympic swim team won big in the Men’s 4 x 100m medley relay, but swimmer Qin Haiyang made headlines even before hitting the water. His strut out to the pool for his individual event went viral on social media, with netizens captivated by his confident walk and sharp attire. Dressed in a oversized red parka over a black jacket, and sporting holographic swimming goggles, Qin had netizens eager to find out where to buy his red coat and leaving hilarious comments like “Is this Paris Fashion Week or the Olympics?” and “born to be a model, forced to be a swimmer”.
Edgar Cheung Ka-long’s gold-on-gold look
Edgar Cheung Ka-long wore a stack of gold jewellery, including bracelets from Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier, along with multiple rings for his gold medal match. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Edgar Cheung Ka-long's bracelet stack. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Maybe Hong Kong’s two-time Olympic foil champion Edgar Cheung Ka-long isn’t a fan of mixing metals, or maybe he was manifesting through his accessories. On the day of his victory at the 2024 Games, the fencer wore a stack of gold jewellery, including bracelets from Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier, along with multiple rings, that matched his eventual gold medal. This stylish statement has inspired many netizens to emulate Cheung’s look, with people using his bracelet stack as the perfect example of jewellery stacking for men and buying similar pieces in the hopes they share his good fortune.
Siobhán Haughey’s Olympic-themed manicure
Siobhán Haughey’s Olympic-themed manicure. (Photo: @ siobhanhaughey01 / Instagram)
Creative process behind Siobhán Haughey’s Olympic-themed manicure. (Photo: @ tinted.hk / Instagram)
A manicure is a great bonding activity for any group of friends, and the Hong Kong Olympic women’s swim team is no exception. For their pre-race tradition, the swimmers partnered with local lash bar Tinted to create custom nail art for each woman—an innovative way for the athletes to express themselves in a sport where accessories are limited. After securing her bronze medal in the women’s 200m freestyle, Siobhán Haughey posted a close-up of her hands holding the medal, prompting many netizens to recreate her nail design.
Read more: Meet Siobhán Haughey, Hong Kong’s most decorated Olympian
Sha’Carri Richardson’s race-day glam
USA's Sha'carri Richardson after the women's 100m competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Photo: Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Silver medalist Sha'Carri Richardson of Team United States celebrates on the podium during women's 100m medal ceremony. (Photo by Kevin Voigt/GettyImages)
Known for her elaborate outfits and flawless make-up, American track and field superstar Sha’Carri Richardson took home the silver medal in the women’s 100m sporting a slick cat-eye look and her signature stiletto nails. What makes her even more of a nail style icon is that this was a completely different set from the ones she sported at the opening ceremony, which featured a bedazzled red, white and blue design. Awaiting her next style statement is almost as breath-taking as watching her storm alongthe track.
Stephen Nedoroscik’s geeky alter ego
Stephen Nedoroscik of the United States prepares to perform his pommel horse routine. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Stephen Nedoroscik of Team United States during a Gymnastics training session ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
The USA gymnastics team’s “pommel horse guy” has somewhat unexpectedly taken the internet by storm. The Rubik’s Cube-solving Clark Kent lookalike specialises in (naturally) the pommel horse and helped deliver the team’s first medal in the discipline in 16 years before going on to take another bronze in the individual event. But it’s Stephen Nedoroscik’s geeky appearance, and his signature glasses in particular that we’re most interested in. They’ve inspired thousands of memes, with people saying they unlock a superhero alter ego and make him Team USA’s secret weapon. Nedoroscik himself has embraced the jokes, saying that they “represent the people that wear glasses well”.
Yuto Horigome’s head-to-toe drip
Yuto Horigome of Japan competes during the men's street finals on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. (Photo by Stefan Matzke - sampics/Getty Images)
It would be impossible to discuss fashion or Gen Z athletes without mentioning skateboarding. As a relatively new sport that made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games, skateboarding has some of the coolest yet most chill uniforms we’ve seen. Yuto Horigome, this year’s champion in the men’s street event, delivered his final run in quintessential streetwear: a sleek black Nike SB jersey, loose trousers, his own Nike SB Dunk Low collaboration and, in true skater style, a pair of AirPods.
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