As the Olympics come to a close, we’d be remiss not to reflect on the buzziest moments from the Games. Whether they were funny, shocking or just emotional, here’s what moments many people online gravitated toward during the Winter Olympics.
“Penisgate”: It wouldn’t be the Olympics without some kind of pre-Games scandal. This time, it came in January after the German newspaper Bild reported that some male athletes were purportedly injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises to fly further while competing. FIS spokesman Bruno Sassi told The Associated Press that it’s a “wild rumor” that started “from pure hearsay.”
A man, a minion costume and a dream: The Winter Olympics had another viral mishap when Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté posted on social media that he was not permitted by Universal to skate his signature “Minions”-themed routine, which features music from the “Despicable Me” movies and its spinoff. After some viral uproar, he said that he got the go-ahead to take the ice in his Minion ensemble. (Universal Pictures and NBC News share a parent company, NBCUniversal.)
Tomas Guarino Sabate of Spain competes in the short program on Feb. 10. Joosep Martinson / Getty Images
Opening ceremony icons: Many of the performances highlighted Italian culture and history. But it was the bobble-beaded versions of classical composers Verdi, Puccini and Rossini, dancing espresso machines and “Lizzie McGuire” coats that drew the most attention.
The “curling baby” who stole his parents thunder: River Schwaller is only a year and a half old and an Olympian in the making. The son of Switzerland’s mixed doubles curling team of Yannick Schwaller and Briar Schwaller-Hürlimann went viral online after picking up his mom’s broom as if he were also about to enter the curling competition. Not yet, but maybe one day!
A cheating Olympian’s plea to his ex-girlfriend: In an emotional interview after he earned the bronze medal in the men’s 20 km biathlon, Sturla Holm Lægreid confessed that he cheated on “the love of [his] life, the most beautiful and kindest person.” Without naming his ex-partner, he said that he met her six months ago. She broke up with him once he told her about his betrayal, but he said he hopes his ex “can still love me.” The attempt to make an appeal to his ex on the global stage quickly made the rounds online, stirring intrigue and confusion.
Team Poland’s pierogi mascot: We’ll never hate a cute mascot. And “pieroguska” (which translates to pierogi pillow) is no exception.
Nazgul, a very good dog that crashed the Olympics: Nazgul, a 2-year-old Czechoslovakian wolf dog, became a viewer favorite after he wandered onto the cross-country racecourse in Tesero on Wednesday.