Thomas Ceccon is now a viral sensation, and no, it’s not because of his gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke—though we wish it were. Instead, the 23-year-old Italian swimmer has found himself at the center of a social media frenzy thanks to a photo of him snoozing on a towel in a Paris park, right in the middle of the Olympic Village.
Picture this: Thomas, who’s usually making waves in the pool, was caught on camera making waves in his sleep. The photo quickly turned into a meme, sparking endless speculation. Some people thought Thomas was staging a protest against the Olympic Village’s less-than-five-star accommodations. But no, he was just catching some z’s.
“Seriously, everyone’s been sending me this photo. It’s like TikTok went into overdrive. I was just taking a nap! Is everyone losing their minds?” Thomas quipped to Access Hollywood.
He elaborated, “I was just cruising around on my bike, found a nice spot in the garden, and decided to have a little nap. Next thing I know, the internet exploded like a fireworks show. I nap for an hour and the whole world thinks I’m staging a rebellion!”
Thomas did admit that he wasn’t exactly living the dream at the Olympics. He missed the finals in the 200-meter backstroke, and while he’s got the gold medal in one event, the other had him floundering a bit. “The Olympic Village is like a sauna with no AC, and the food is a ‘delicacy’ only if you’re into culinary experiments gone wrong. It’s not just an excuse, it’s like trying to sleep in a blender with a soundtrack of construction noise,” he said to The Sun. “So yeah, I’m bummed I didn’t make it to the final, but I was too wiped out. It’s hard to sleep with all the heat and racket. It’s like trying to nap in a disco!”
Thomas Ceccon, the latest internet sensation, proving that even Olympic athletes can be undone by a nap and a viral photo.
@accesshollywood Everyone’s new fav Italian swimmer says he was just trying to get his nature on 🌿 #Paris2024 ♬ original sound – Access Hollywood