• News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content
Olympic athlete explains why so many competitors have exact same tattoo as it’s not just fashion statement

Home> News

Published 15:28 31 Jul 2024 GMT+1

Olympic athlete explains why so many competitors have exact same tattoo as it’s not just fashion statement

Chris Jacobs is a three-time gold medallist who started the trend in 1988

Britt Jones

Britt Jones

The Olympics have seen many superstar athletes come and go, and they all have the same tattoo donning their bodies.

Such as the case with gold medalist Nevin Harrison, who had only been a title winner for less than a month before she decided to go out and get her first tattoo.

The sketch cost her a whopping $500, but she doesn’t regret it.

According to USA Today, she said: "I had no idea what I was doing. I just wanted to get the best one and have perfect circles."

Advert

Nevin Harrison celebrated her gold with a tattoo. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Nevin Harrison celebrated her gold with a tattoo. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

But she isn’t the first and won’t be the last to get herself a tattoo after winning gold.

Apparently, it’s a rite of passage for athletes who compete at the Olympics to get a permanent reminder of their time there.

Allyson Felix, who is the most decorated track and field athlete in U.S. history, has the very same tattoo on her right ankle; Noah Lyles has it on the right side of his rib cage; gymnastics champions, Simone Biles and Suni Lee, also have it on their wrists.

Advert

But what is the tattoo everyone is getting?

It’s the Olympic rings.

According to Chris Jacobs, an Olympic gold medallist who won three times at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul is credited for starting the trend after getting the rings tattooed on him three times.

He began with a tiny tattoo under where his swim shorts would cover, another above his hip and finally a giant piece on the inside of his bicep.

Advert

For Chris, and many others, it’s a symbolic statement.

He explained: "I do think it’s become a rite of passage. It’s almost like a little card for a somewhat exclusive club."

The 59-year-old explained: "They represent a lot to a lot of people. I wanted to mark that period in my life, I suppose.”

The athlete rocked his symbol around 30 years before Harrison.

Advert

After he donned his ink, other stars like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte began sporting their own tattoos and soon, other athletes in different categories started to join in.

She chose her Olympic rings to go on her arm. (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
She chose her Olympic rings to go on her arm. (Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Olympic sprinter Gabby Thomas was one person who hopped on the trend, saying: "It represents just an amazing era of my life.

"Whether or not I continued to run and no matter what I did on the track after that, I will always remember this time period and how spectacular it was and how much I've learned and grown from it."

Advert

As did Spain's gymnast Sergio Munoz, canoe athlete, Evy Leibfarth, and

Kara Goucher, who actually waited 15 years after winning gold to join in on the trend.

She explained why in an Instagram post: "I felt like I hadn’t performed well there.”

Ben Hallock, from the 2021 men's water polo team waited seven years because he ‘just sort of wanted to think about why I was getting it and what it meant to me.’

Even the Paralympics have started to tattoo their own trademark symbol, which is an Agitos, a trio of check marks.

Let’s hope the tradition continues.

Featured Image Credit: Laurence Griffiths/Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images

Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, Tattoos, World News

Britt Jones
Britt Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

11 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
3 hours ago
  • 11 mins ago

    Donald Trump just defunded life-saving women’s health service to give billionaires a tax break

    The bill will 'effectively defund' a medical institution, with almost a third set to close their doors if the legislation goes ahead

    News
  • an hour ago

    US citizen dies from the plague less than 24 hours after showing symptoms

    The Arizona residents' identity is being kept quiet by officials 'out of respect for their family'

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte responds after conspiracy theorists who claimed she was ‘a man’ are cleared in court

    Brigitte Macron's lawyer has issued a statement and revealed what their next steps are

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Controversial Wimbledon rule that not even Prince George is exempt from as royal fans make sad point about his outfit

    The 11-year-old was joined by his younger sister and parents at the Wimbledon men's singles final on Sunday (13 July)

    News
  • Olympic bosses issue statement after athlete shows disgusting quality of medal a week after winning it
  • Athlete gets kicked out of Olympic Village after creating ‘inappropriate environment’
  • Olympic athlete given major penalty after changing mind seconds before dive
  • Olympic athlete breaks world record but sadly it will never count