While Olympic spectators wait with bated breath to see how different events at the Paris Games unfold, the chronically online audience have become invested in a different journey: a Norwegian Olympian’s love for chocolate muffins.
Swimmer Henrik Christiansen, 27, has not yet won any medals, but he has won the hearts of many after posting a series of TikTok videos showcasing his love of the bakery at the Olympic Village — well, of one bakery item in particular.
He’s posted at least nine videos about the muffins over five days, amassing millions of views. It began with an Olympic Village food review, where he rated the “choccy muffin” an 11 out of 10.
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Then he posted a follow-up, offering people a close up of the muffin to the tune of What You Won’t Do For Love? by Bobby Caldwell.
“The single greatest thing about the Olympic Village so far,” Christiansen wrote in the caption.
He then posted another video that used a popular soundbite from the movie Shrek, in which the gingerbread man asks: “Do you know the muffin man?”
In that caption, Christiansen declared himself the “Olympic muffin man“.
Christiansen’s dedication to the rich, gooey muffin has captured the attention of millions. Another video gained roughly 30,000 views within 20 minutes of him posting it to TikTok on Tuesday.
The comment sections of the videos show the Norwegian swimmer has garnered an entirely new fan base.
“The only Olympic village love story that matters,” one user wrote on TikTok.
Another person wrote: “I am simply rooting for Norway now because of the muffin man, and I am not upset about it.”
The obsession managed to cross social media platforms, as users on X were also discussing the “Olympic muffin man”.
One person posted that they were sad to know they’ll never get a chance to eat the chocolate treat.
Another X user described the series of videos the “most unexpected yet entertaining thing to have come from the Olympics this year”.
“What is the funniest thing to come out of the Olympics and why is it that team Norway athlete who has now dedicated his entire life to the Olympic village chocolate muffin,” one person said.
Christiansen, who made his Olympic debut in Rio, is scheduled to compete in the men’s 10km marathon swimming event as well as the men’s 1500m freestyle.
He already swam in 800m freestyle heats on Monday, where he ranked 25th overall.