- Gymnast Jesse Moore was spotted with a Coles bag in Paris
- Moore was using the plastic bag to store his chalk.
Sports fans were shocked to notice a gymnast competing at the Paris Olympics was using an iconic Australian product before his routine.
South Australian Jesse Moore had an excellent Olympics, qualifying for the men’s all-around final last week.
The 21-year-old was the first Australian to reach the final since Josh Jeffries at the London Games in 2012.
Moore finished in 21st place, impressing on the vault and showing an improved routine on the pommel horse, her favorite event.
But it wasn’t just Moore’s athletic ability that captured the attention of Australians watching from home, with eagle-eyed viewers noticing she was using a trusty Coles plastic bag to store her chalk during the parallel bars section of the event.
Before their routines, gymnasts dust their hands with magnesium carbonate, commonly known as “chalk,” to help them get a good grip on equipment such as the uneven or parallel bars.
In a now-viral clip on TikTok, titled ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie’, Moore can be seen reaching into the Coles plastic bag to paint his hands with chalk moments before his routine.
‘HAHAHAHAHA! That Coles bag made it all the way to Paris and I can’t stand it,’ commented one user.
South Australian gymnast Jesse Moore is pictured competing on the parallel bars in Paris, where he added a very Australian twist to his preparation.
Moore was seen using a Coles plastic bag to store her chalk, which gymnasts use to ensure they don’t lose their grip during a routine.
The South Australian had a superb Olympics, becoming the first Australian to reach the men’s all-around final since 2012.
“Coles is now officially an unofficial sponsor,” another joked.
“He’s really getting the most out of his money,” said a third.
Several commenters wrote about the fact that the bag must be quite old, as the supermarket now uses different reusable items.
“This isn’t just any Coles bag. It’s an old Coles bag from years ago, when you could carry more than one loaf of bread in it without it breaking,” wrote one.
“And it’s the old recycled Coles bag that they don’t even make anymore! It’s an antique!” added another.
The official Coles account also commented on the post, writing: ‘Icons recognise icons.’
“I’m glad I was finally able to get through that rough patch. All I had in my head was to finish strong and I did that,” he said.
“The goal is to form a team next time and over the next four years we will strive to achieve that.”
Japan’s Oka Shinnosuke scored 86.832 to win the gold medal, 0.233 ahead of China’s Zhang Boheng.
Xiao Routeng, also of China, was .468 behind for bronze, while Moore earned a score of 80.430 in the six sections.