It’s only been a week since the 2024 Paris Olympics have kicked off, and we’ve already seen some incredible sporting moments—with Hongkongers Vivian Kong and Edgar Cheung Ka-long winning gold in fencing and swimmer Siobhan Haughey winning two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m freestyle events.
The Olympic Games have also brought about some standout style moments from the athletes themselves, whether it’s wearing eye-catching uniforms or shedding new light on their respective disciplines thanks to their unique team kits. These are Tatler’s picks for stylish athlete moments so far.
Read more: Hong Kong athletes’ highlights at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Rebeca Andrade’s glimmering turquoise ensemble
Brazilian gymnast Rebeca won Olympic gold in the floor event of the women’s gymnastics with a near-flawless routine Her performance was enhanced by her bedazzled turquoise leotard and complementary geometric eye make-up, not to mention her radiant glow when she realised she had bested fellow competitor and friend Simone Biles—who had encouraged her to pursue her athletics dreams despite injury.
Noah Lyles’ sparkling jewellery
Playful jewellery styles are increasingly playing a role in men’s fashion, with pearls, colours and bolder details becoming popular options. American track star Noah Lyles, who won the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 100m sprint on August 5, showed off his penchant for accessories, wearing a bedazzled tri-metal chain link necklace as well as pearl beads in his hair and a funky, patriotic manicure as the final touch.
Two-faced French artistic swimming team
Creativity is just one factor of the artistic swimming event, and the French team made waves with their unique costume design. It featured trompe l’oeil faces on the back of their swimming caps, making for a captivating performance. Although they missed out on a medal, they delivered a memorable routine that pushed the boundaries of swimming attire–and if there’d been awards for costume design, we’re sure they’d have been in the running for gold.
Tom Daley sharing his knitting skills
In addition to being an Olympic winning diver, Tom Daley is also a talented knitter and has been making and sharing his creations on a separate Instagram account, @madewithlovebytomdaley, since 2020. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, Daley shared the cosy jumper he knitted while in the French capital, sharing the details he included such the British and French flags, his initials, and the number five to indicate how many games he’s attended.
Bronze-winning and bow-wearing sprinter Melissa Jefferson
Team USA’s Melissa Jefferson juxtaposed her sweet blue hair bow and matching manicure with a steely focus and powerful sprint as she clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 100-metre final over the weekend. She finished behind her teammate, Sha’Carri Richardson—who also sported standout talons that featured elements of the American flag—and Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who won her first gold medal and her country’s first Olympic medal, ever.
Gymnast Kaylia Nemour winning in white
French Algerian gymnast Kaylia Nemour took home her first gold medal for the women’s uneven bars final this weekend. She represented Algeria, meaning this is also Africa’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s gymnastics, and the country’s first medal in this year’s games. Nemour’s white bedazzled leotard looked to be symbolic of these multiple firsts in her triumphant performance, and complemented her radiant glow on the podium.
Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec and his “aura”
Yusuf Dikeç took home a silver medal for Team Turkïye with teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan last week in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event in an understated yet impactful fashion. Compared to his competitors, who were decked out in high-tech shooting gear including specialised eyewear and ear protection, Dikeç simply rocked up his team t-shirt, reading glasses and simple ear plugs to place second.
Spectators and fans quickly made him an online sensation, noting that his nonchalant stance with one hand in his pocket and seemingly casual approach to the Olympic stage gave him major “aura points”—the current slang term to denote how cool one is—and dubbing him the Turkish John Wick.
Simone Biles and her diamond goat pendant
Simone Biles made history by winning her second gold medal in the all-around individual category last night. To celebrate, she flashed her diamond-encrusted goat pendant—a reference to the acronym GOAT, meaning Greatest of all Time, which is popularly used to refer to athletes creating a legacy in their sport such as herself.
Kim Ye-ji rocking all-black
South Korean sharp shooter Kim Ye-ji recently went viral for her tough-as-nails stature that exuded “main character energy” and all-black shooting gear from sporting label Fila that gave the impression of her being an assassin from a film. While the specific image was from a pre-Olympics competition held in May, Kim did win a silver medal in the women’s 10-metre air pistol category at the Games, still sporting dark hues, a cap and the specialised eyewear that emanates diamond dealer vibes.
Team US’s sparkling gymnastics uniforms
Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team celebrated winning the gold medal as a collective in serious style. Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera competed wearing GK Elite Sportswear bedazzled with more than 6,000 Swarovski crystals in star motifs and shades of red, white and blue to honour the American flag. According to Bustle, these leotards cost around USD$3,000 each, the most expensive kit the team has worn so far.
Edgar Cheung Ka-long and his bracelet bling
Edgar Cheung Ka-long won his second gold medal at the Olympics, and while celebrating, fans noticed a flash of gold on his right wrist. The fencer was wearing a gold and black Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra bracelet and a Cartier Love bangle, two items coveted by those with luxury tastes in Hong Kong, and was affectionally dubbed a “Kong girl” by the likes of meme accounts on Instagram.
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