The best athletes at the Paris Olympics to follow on TikTok

The Paris Olympics began last week with millions around the globe tuning in to watch athletes from different countries compete for gold.

And while that is the main event, in the age of social media we can now get an inside look at what life is like as the athletes prepare for the biggest competition of their lives.

This first began when TikTok gained popularity back in 2020 during the pandemic, which resulted in sports stars posting videos when the postponed Tokyo Olympics took place the following year in 2021.

Now at the Paris Olympics, viewers get the chance to see what the Olympic Village where the athletes stay is like, what kind of food they eat, and the general behind-the-scenes shenanigans.

Here are is a compiled list of which Olympians you should be following on TikTok:

Ilona Maher

Sport: Rugby Sevens

Country: USA

Followers: 1.8m

Ilona Maher was one of the breakout TikTok stars of the Tokyo Olympics back in 2021 and has since grown her platform to nearly 2m followers where she promotes body positivity, celebrating that "All body types can be Olympians."

She also posts fun behind-the-scenes videos, from practicing her run-out, to showing off her opening ceremony outfit lip-syncing to Taylor Swift, as well as meeting NFL player Jason Kelce.

The rugby sevens athlete won a bronze medal as part of Team USA on Tuesday in a dramatic match where they defeated Australia in a last-second score, and the clip of an emotional Maher receiving her medal has gone viral.

Tom Daley

Sport: Diving

Country: Great Britain

Followers: 1.5m

He's Britain's national treasure, so it's no surprise that diver Tom Daley has amassed a big following on TikTok.

The 30-year-old who recently won a silver medal with Noah Williams in the Men's Synchronized 10m Platform competition has posted a pool tour at the Paris Games, as well as training footage and workouts.

When he's not diving, Daley also shares videos of himself knitting and crocheting which has been spotted doing in the stands while supporting his fellow Team GB divers.

Tilly Kearns

Sport: Water polo

Country: Australia

Followers: 501,000

Tilly Kearns has been posting updates at the Olympics and there was a heartwarming video of hers that went viral where you can hear the singing of another team in the next building over, which she believes are the athletes from the Oceania countries.

"Being among all the different cultures is the best,” she wrote and the clip has over 11.4m views. She's also given her verdict on the cardboard beds athletes sleep on in the Olympic village.

Alongside this she's previously shown you can get some nasty scratches on your chest as a result of playing water polo.

Simone Biles

Sport: Gymnastics

Country: USA

Followers: 2.2m followers

She needs no introduction but as the most decorated US gymnast of all time, Simone Biles is also a hit on TikTok.

The 27-year-old's content ranges from showing her journey to qualify for the Paris Olympics, right up to when the USA won gold for the women's team gymnastics.

Following the win, Biles along with teammate Suni Lee were overheard planning what TikToks they wanted to do with their gold medals. On Biles' page they all pretended to eat their medal, and on Lee's the team did a transition video to a popular sound.

Henrik Christiansen

Sport: Swimming

Country: Norway

Followers: 119,000 followers

While there have been some complaints about the food at the Olympic Village, as far as one swimmer is concerned, their chocolate muffins are top tier.

Henrik Christiansen has been going viral for declaring his love for the sweet treat - so much so he's now calling himself "The Olympic Muffin Man".

In one video he can been seen holding a handful of muffins and in another he's hilariously stashed them away in his bedside draw.

One viewer wrote: "I am simply rooting for Norway now because of the muffin man and I am not upset about it."

Harry McNulty

Sport: Rugby Sevens

Country: Ireland

Followers: 106,000

If you want to know what's going on in the Olympic Village, then Harry McNulty has you covered.

He posts various videos, from showing the different outfits athletes from each country are wearing at the opening ceremony, to showing that athletes can make their own custom postage stamps with their faces on and send postcards back home, along with enjoying the Games as a spectator watching the beach volleyball near the Eiffel Tower.

Jennifer Lehane

Sport: Boxing

Country: Ireland

Followers: 7,779

Another Irish athlete to follow is Jennifer Lehane whose "Things in the Olympic Village that just make sense" video went viral, and included fresh baguettes from the bakery, and games rooms and more.

She also filmed herself on the Ireland boat at the opening ceremony where athletes could be seen having a good time despite the rainy weather.

Other content on Lehane's TikTok includes her showing what's in her bag, as well as a 'spend the day with me' vlog at the Olympics.

Keet Oldenbeuving

Sport: Skateboarding

Country: The Netherlands

Followers: 109,000

Keet Oldenbeuving is proving that skateboarding is one of the cooler Olympic sports as she films herself using her skateboard to actually get around.

The 19-year-old has been posting daily vlogs on what she gets up to at the Olympic Village, as well as pin trading with fellow athletes and showing the different goodies she's received, and her review of the cardboard bed.

Saffi Vette

Sport: Surfing

Country: New Zealand

Followers: 12,500

Most athletes are competing at the Paris Olympics... in Paris, expect for surfers who are 9,942 miles away where their competitions are taking place in Teahupo’o on the island of Tahiti, which is in French Polynesia.

So for those curious as to what this experience is like, Saffi Vette has been posting videos from the floating Olympic Village - as their accommodation is actually on a cruise ship.

Daniella Ramierz

Sport: Artistic swimming

Country: USA

Followers: 517,000

For ASMR fans, artistic swimmer Anna Dramirez often posts viral videos of herself removing the gel from her hair which needs to be slicked back for competition.

One of her most popular hair videos has a whopping 130m views, as she taps her gel at first to demonstrate that is is rock solid on her head and then in other clips she peels the gel off.

During the Paris Olympics she's also shown behind the scenes videos on the Team USA boat at the opening ceremony and getting to see the venue she and her team will be competing in.

Tayleb Willis

Sport: Athletics - 110m hurdles

Country: Australia

Followers: 625,000

Tayleb Williams has been posting about his journey to the Paris Olympics and leading up to the competition he's posted from his training camp in Montpellier, sharing his excitement about competing at the Games, unboxing his Australian uniform, and posting a vlog when arriving at the Olympic Village.

Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel