As top athletes from around the world compete fiercely at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, one unexpected item has become the star of the show: a chocolate muffin.
It all started when Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen posted a video on TikTok reviewing all the food he ate during his stay in the Olympic Village.
One of those items was a delicious-looking chocolate muffin, and immediately after taking his first bite of that gooey delight, Henrik fell in love.
In the following days, the 27-year-old sports star shared a series of hilarious clips showing him sneaking some into his room, keeping them in his drawers and even carrying muffins with him while taking part in various activities.
Immediately, millions of people bought into Henrik’s muffin obsession, turning both the swimmer (who’s now been dubbed the Olympic Muffin Man) and the dessert into massive social media sensations, as well as catching the attention of Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.
It all started when Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen posted a video on TikTok reviewing all the food he ate during his stay in the Olympic Village.
One of those items was a delicious-looking chocolate muffin, and immediately after taking his first bite of that gooey delight, Henrik fell in love.
In the following days, the 27-year-old sports star shared a series of hilarious clips showing him sneaking some into his room, keeping them in his drawers and even carrying muffins with him while taking part in various activities.
Soon, other athletes staying at the Olympic Village were rushing to try the sweet snack and sharing their own reviews on the video streaming platform.
And for those who weren’t able to try the cupcake, they tried to find copies online or recreate it at home, so they too could experience the sweet chocolate delight.
Henrik first posted about the muffin last Thursday, while reviewing everything he’d consumed so far in the Olympic Village.
After taking a big bite of the bun, her eyes immediately widened with joy as she raised an “okay” sign with her hand to show her approval.
“11/10,” he wrote on the screen. “Crazy.”
Then a day later, Henrik uploaded a clip showing a muffin on his desk in his bedroom while Bobby Caldwell’s romantic tune What You Won’t Do For Love played in the background.
“The best of the Olympic Village so far,” was the title of the article.
He also shared a video of himself looking at a half-eaten muffin with chocolate all over his face.
Immediately, millions of people became invested in Henrik’s muffin obsession, resulting in the swimmer being dubbed the Muffin Man of the Olympics.
It also turned the dessert into a massive social media sensation, catching the attention of Today hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.
Soon, other athletes staying at the Olympic Village were quick to try the sweet snack and share their own opinions, including swimmers Enkhkhuslen Batbayar (left) and Freya Anderson (right).
And for those who weren’t able to try the cupcake, they tried to find copies online or recreate it at home, so they too could experience the sweet chocolate goodness.
Days later, Henrik and the muffin chronicles continued when he posted a video showing his friend sitting at a table as the words, “I feel like you’re only here for the chocolate muffin” appeared on the screen.
Then it was on to Henrik, who of course was in the middle of eating another one.
In a different video, Henrik lip-synched a snippet from the movie Shrek that said, “Do you know the Muffin Man?”
“I hereby declare myself the Olympic Muffin Man,” he captioned the post.
Other TikToks showed him walking down the street with four muffins in his hand and opening a drawer in his room that was full of them.
In another photo, he was standing on his porch watching the sunset, with a muffin in his hand.
“Another beautiful day in the Olympic Village,” she gushed.
Then a day later, Henrik uploaded a clip showing a muffin on his desk in his bedroom while Bobby Caldwell’s romantic tune What You Won’t Do For Love played in the background.
She also posted a video of her friend saying, “I feel like you’re only here for the chocolate muffin.” It then cuts to Henrik, who was in the middle of eating another muffin.
Other TikToks showed him walking down the street with four muffins in his hand and opening a drawer in his room that was full of them.
Another photo showed him standing on his porch watching the sunset, a muffin in tow.
Her videos garnered millions of views and sparked global intrigue about the Olympic Village muffins.
It inspired other Olympians to try the dessert and document it online, including swimmers Enkhkhuslen Batbayar, Freya Anderson and Jasmine Schofield.
Today show hosts Hoda and Savannah, as well as Al Roker and Craig Melvin, even tried the treat on air Wednesday morning and gave it their stamp of approval.
“Wow, you’re right,” Hoda said enthusiastically after consuming one.
(tags to translate)dailymail