Couples who medal together, stay together.
Updated Jul 16, 2024So, You Want to Date an Olympian? Thanks to Dating Apps, Now You Can
So many hot new bombshells are entering the [Olympic] villa.
Photo: Kevin Voigt | GettyImages
So you want to date an Olympian? We know you've seen the TikToks. Every two years, the world collectively swoons over the most successful Olympians as they take center stage at the Games. But with widespread notoriety comes intense fascination—and people can't help but want to learn more about the private lives of the elite athletes who become household names. Fans devour tales of Olympic couples and their epic love stories. In fact, some lucky pairs were fortunate enough to actually meet *at* the Games. But what if that was you? Thanks to modern dating technology, it very well could be.
Each time the Olympics roll around, viral stories of cardboard beds and endless supplies of condoms dominate headlines, because, well, let's face it: We're all a little curious about what really goes down behind closed doors in the Olympic Village. But as the Games kicked off in Paris, France, a new trend took over social media, where fans discovered a sneaky way to date their way through the conglomeration of athletes.
Photo: Sarah Stier | Getty Images
It's all thanks to the location feature on dating apps. Within hours of the Opening Ceremony, daters discovered they could update their location to Paris to essentially "swipe" through the Olympic Village. "Three words: Tinder, Paris, Olympics," said one user in a clip that racked up one million views. "It's an Olympic game in itself, swiping in the city right now. It is unbelievable how majestic some of these men are." Comments ablaze, one fellow dater wrote, "I'm REALLY looking forward to Tinder when I get to Paris later this week." Another added, "The way I have two dates just this week because of the Olympics, let the games begin!"
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While the concept took off on TikTok, this isn't just an internet echo chamber—because data indicates that there has indeed been a rise in daters changing their app locations to Paris during the Olympics. "In the lead up to the Games, we've seen an increase in people changing their Bumble profile location to Paris and a 133% increase in people adding mentions of 'Olympics' in their bios in France," a Bumble spokesperson tells The Knot. "Our global cultures so rarely come together the way they do when the entire world tunes into the Olympics. This world stage naturally piques our interest in countries besides our own and has singles daydreaming about what it could be like to date across the pond."
Photo: Cameron Spencer | Getty Images
The concept of finding love with an Olympian isn't completely outlandish. According to The Knot 2024 Relationship & Intimacy Study, 22% of respondents to our survey met their partner through a dating app. And while the prospect of finding an Olympian online might be akin to finding a needle in a haystack, Bumble's insights reveal that even French locals are open to connecting with daters looking to immerse themselves in the excitement of the Games. "Recent research from Bumble and YouGov shows that almost a quarter (23%) of French singles 18-34 years old are likely to be active on dating apps during this period," the spokesperson continues. "We know that both our French and international communities in Paris are making the most of this time, using Bumble to find people who they connect with."
Given the worldwide interest in the Olympics, it's not a surprise that fans are looking for ways to feel connected beyond watching the competition on TV. "Olympians, especially during the Olympics, are celebrities to us, and the opportunity to connect with them is an intriguing concept," explains Leanna Stockard, LMFT at LifeStance Health. "Now with dating apps, the potential of connecting with celebrities is easier than ever. During the Olympics, we know exactly where these athletes are during a two week period, and can utilize the feature of changing your location to make that connection even more possible."
Plus, thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, athletes now provide never-before-seen content from inside the Olympic Village, thus sparking more intense interest in the personalities you get to know on your TV screen. (Take rugby star Ilona Maher's wildly-popular village dating diaries as proof.)
According to Stockard, having this sort of unprecedented access to the stars of the Olympics can result in an increased desire to make that bond feel real—and one way to do so is by attempting to match with an athlete on an app. "Many people feel a special connection to Olympians during the Olympic Games. We learn more about who they are, what they have done to improve at their sport, and for some, how their skills have improved or changed from previous games," she says. "We watch their hard work come to fruition, and it can feel special for us to watch their very real emotions show up in real time. It's common for people to daydream or envision themselves falling in love with a celebrity, and during the Olympics, this can transition to Olympians."
Plus, based on Bumble's data, interest in sports has become an incredibly important quality for daters. "Especially around the Games, we're seeing the growing impact of sports in romance," they tell us. "Our research shows that for one in three people globally, a shared love of sports is a 'must have' regardless of if you're a player or simply a spectator."
For hopeless romantics and fans of intentional dating alike, the concept of swiping through the Olympic village feels like embarking on a real-life version of your own Love Island episode. From the comfort of home, you can toggle a few settings on your phone to put yourself square in the middle of all the fun. After all, regardless of your dating preferences, pursuing an Olympic athlete may sound *tres* romantic. And with the Games taking place in the City of Love this year, there's no better time to lean into your fantasies, oui?
