Jess Hardiman
An Olympic athlete went viral during this year’s Paris Games after people noticed she made a specific gesture to the camera - only to bizarrely correct herself, prompting many to speculate what it meant.
Polish athlete Ewa Swoboda began her Olympics journey on 2 August by topping her 100m heat with a time of 10.99 seconds.
Despite placing first, the sports star unfortunately failed to qualify for the main event, having come fourth in the semi-final behind Melissa Jefferson, Marie-Josée Ta Lou and Mujinga Kambundji.
Ahead of her 11.08-second feat on 3 August, Swoboda was seemingly in good spirits.
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She smiled for the panning camera before producing a salute with her right hand.
But after making the gesture, she quickly began waggling her finger before mouthing the word ‘No’.
Realising her apparent mistake, the athlete proceeded to salute again with her left hand this time.
The move soon went viral across social media, leaving many people baffled about the sudden change in gesture, and Swoboda’s adamant reaction.
But one user on X speculated that there could well be a very simple explanation, suggesting it had all been down to the military salute.
“Military salute is with the right hand,” they said.
“So, she switches to her left to say hello."
A second user echoed the sentiment and said: “Saluting to the right is for military. She caught her mistake and then saluted from the left.”
A third agreed: “Right side is a military salute. Second on the left side is a civilian greeting. But most people don’t care.”
While Swoboda has gone home empty-handed this time, she has had the ultimate honour of being one of nine Olympians immortalised in Barbie form for the Paris Games.
The doll was commissioned as part of Barbie’s 65th-anniversary celebrations by Mattel.
Speaking about the one-of-a-kind toy, the three-time European Indoor Championship medallist said: “So happy that Barbie acknowledged my story and honored me alongside 8 other amazing athletes from around the world for the Barbie Role Model.
“I still can’t believe this! As a little girl I played with dolls and now I have my own Barbie doll that looks like me - the only one in the world.”
She continued to say that she wants her Barbie to represent ‘being yourself’ and the idea that you don’t have to ‘live up to anyone’s expectations’.
“Everyone has the right to express ourselves in our own way,” the athlete added.
Iconic tennis player Venus Williams and Australian footballer Mary Fowler were also honoured alongside Mexican gymnast Alexa Moren and French boxer Estelle Mossely.
Paratriathlon Athlete Susana Rodriguez and swimmer Federica Pellegrini also joined the pantheon alongside Rebeca Andrade.