We’re Still Talking About These Viral Olympic Moments

While some athletes leave the Olympics with a medal, others head home from the Games with a different kind of prominence: Internet fame.

Among the Olympians to strike social media gold are Pita Nikolas Taufatofua, the taekwondo competitor and flag bearer from Tonga who's caught viewers’ attention with his oiled-up physique during three opening ceremonies.

Other sports stars have gone viral by letting viewers know exactly how they were feeling. Like when U.S. gymnast McKayla Maroney, uh, impressively spurred countless memes with her unimpressed expression during her silver medal win at the 2012 London Olympics. Or when American swimmer Michael Phelps caused a splash with his game-day face before the 200-meter butterfly semifinal at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

There were also unforgettable moments that served as a reminder that things don’t always go according to game plan. Take, for instance, when a squirrel darted across the slopes during the Women's Parallel Giant Slalom event at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Or when there was a bit of a blunder during the Opening Ceremony for the 2014 Games in Sochi, in which an electronic snowflake that was supposed to expand into an Olympic ring froze up and didn’t work as expected.

Fans will have to wait until the 2024 Paris Olympics to see which moments take the podium for most-talked-about event this year. Luckily, they won’t have to hold out for too much longer. 

The Olympics will run from July 26 to Aug. 11 followed by the Paralympic Games from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.

For now, keep reading to see more viral Olympic moments from over the years.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family).

Pita Taufatofua almost broke the internet during his appearance at the Opening Ceremony for the 2016 Olympics. Specifically, while serving as Tonga's flag bearer, the taekwondo practitioner made a stir after wearing a taʻovala, which featured his oiled and shirtless body. 

He reprised his flag bearer position at both the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2020 Summer Olympics—and we couldn't be more pleased.

There was a flurry of commotion after one of the electronic snowflakes for the 2014 Olympics' Opening Ceremony in Sochi failed to expand into an Olympic ring.

After Simone Biles revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that her celebrity crush was Zac Efron, the High School Musical alum surprised the Olympian and her teammates on NBC while they were in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games.

After Hoda Kotb teased Efron's presence, Biles declared, "If you bring him out, I think I'm going to pass out."

Thankfully, the gold medalist—who is now married to football player Jonathan Owens—didn't faint and got an A-list visit with the actor, which included a kiss on the cheek.

Tell me somethin', girl: Is that Lady Gaga?

Taekwondo competitor Julyana Al-Sadeq from Jordan had viewers doing a double-take as many thought she looked like the Grammy winner.

Ashley Wagner wasn’t happy after she saw her scores for the short program during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. 

“I looked at the scores, and with me, what you see is what you get. And I don’t make any apologies for it,” she explained to Bethenny Frankel on the talk-show Bethenny that year. “I made a face, and it was over. It was the face that went around the world.”

Despite that disappointment, Wagner ended the Olympics with a bronze medal in the team event.

A squirrel cheated death after running across the slopes during the 2018 Winter Olympics. In fact, Austrian snowboarded Daniela Ulbing impressively dodged the rodent during the Women's Parallel Giant Slalom event.

McKayla Maroney became an instant meme when she debuted her unimpressed face after receiving the silver medal at the London Olympics. 

"I remember doing the face for literally two seconds," the Olympian explained in a 2014 interview with Inside Gymnastics Magazine. "Like, if you watch the video, it's two seconds. And I remember thinking, did I just make a face? Because it's natural. I do it all the time. I have pictures of me when I'm little doing it. I have it on my Mac computer when I'm like 13."

With a record-breaking number of medals, Michael Phelps was already an intimidating opponent at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. And ahead of the 200-meter butterfly semifinal, the swimmer debuted a game face that sent the internet into a tizzy. He later revealed at the MTV Video Music Awards that he was listening to Future while getting in the zone, which caused this expression.

Coach Dean Boxall made an impression at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with his enthusiastic reaction to Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus beating U.S. athlete Katie Ledecky in the 400-meter freestyle and taking home the gold.

Aly Raisman's parents, Rick and Lynn Raisman, first went viral at the 2012 London Olympics after they were spotted squirming in their seats as their gymnast daughter competed for the gold.

While Rick told USA Today he was "a little horrified," he went on to bring the same energy to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Aly—who won two golds and a bronze in London— took home another gold medal and two silvers.

Silver medalist Devin Logan made a splash at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics by having an unexpected good-luck piece. The Olympic freeskier debuted tiny hand trinkets that she'd wave to the crowd after runs. After the tiny hands went viral, the Olympian revealed she got them from her brother.

American bobsledder Johnny Quinn made headlines at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi—but not for his performance on the course. The athlete found himself trapped in a bathroom and was forced to bust through the door. Understandably, this moment caused quite a stir online.

After the pools at the 2016 Olympics started turning green, people began wondering what was going on. According to CBS, the color change was caused by an incorrect amount of hydrogen peroxide being added to the water. Terrible for the Olympics committee, hilarious for those on Twitter.

The 2012 Olympics in London kicked off with a memorable opening ceremony thanks to James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Queen Elizabeth II. In the special intro, the secret agent accompanied the British monarch to the Summer Games, corgis and all. What we didn't expect? The Queen skydiving with Bond into the international event.

(We know she didn't actually skydive, but it gave us a chuckle nonetheless.)