Olympic Meme Goes Viral as Sunisa Lee Pokes Fun at Balance Beam Fall

A new Olympic meme has taken the internet by storm, with athletes from various disciplines sharing videos of their sporting mishaps on TikTok. The latest addition to this viral sensation is none other than Olympic gymnast Sunisa "Suni" Lee herself, who poked fun at her own fall during the women’s balance beam finals on Monday.

Lee’s humorous take on the situation came in the form of a TikTok video, which features her balance beam fall accompanied by the caption: "Unfortunately, I was selected for the Olympics." The post was punctuated with a heart emoji, followed by a loudly crying face emoji and two emojis of smiling faces with tears.

The viral Olympic meme, which has been dubbed the "Olympic fails" meme, has been widely shared on social media platforms. It features a range of athletes from across the sporting spectrum, including divers smacking the diving board, hurdlers tripping on multiple hurdles, and gymnasts swinging around the uneven bars or prepping to backflip for far longer than intended.

Even celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay got in on the action, sharing a video of him failing to score a point while shooting some hoops on a basketball court.

Lee’s decision to join in on the meme is a testament to her sportsmanship and ability to poke fun at herself. Despite her disappointment at not securing a podium place for the balance beam, she ended her 2024 Olympic run with three shiny new medals: a gold for the team event and two bronzes for the women’s artistic all-around and uneven bars.

The uncharacteristic falls during the women’s balance beam finals on Monday also raised questions about the state of the Olympic equipment. However, according to reports, there have been no issues with the balance beam itself. Instead, some gymnasts have pointed to the lack of background music or noise during the finals as a contributing factor to their nerves and stress levels.

Lee and her teammate Simone Biles were among four competitors who fell off the balance beam during the finals, with Italian gymnasts Alice D’Amato and Manila Esposito taking gold and bronze respectively, and Chinese gymnast Yaqin Zhou taking silver.

The "Olympic fails" meme is a lighthearted way for athletes to poke fun at themselves and share their own experiences of not quite living up to expectations. It’s a reminder that even at the highest level of competition, mistakes can happen, and that it’s okay to laugh at oneself and move forward.