A few days ago, we reported on French Olympic pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati, who went viral worldwide when his jump was hilariously interrupted by an unexpected obstacle—his own bulge. Well, the story doesn’t end there! Ammirati recently took to TikTok, where he appeared deep in thought, contemplating the unexpected attention he’s been getting since that infamous moment.
@anthonyammirati Je sais pas trop si je dois le prendre bien ou pas du coup 😂 #olympics #paris2024
In the video, Ammirati wrote (in French, of course), “POV: you create more buzz for your package than for your performances,” as he sat pensively eating in the Olympic Village. The video, now boasting over 7 million views, was captioned with a crying-laughing emoji and the words, “I don’t know if I should take it well or not.”
Ammirati’s leap into viral fame came after his leg—and, um, other parts—knocked the bar during qualifying. Though he admitted it was “a big disappointment,” he humorously acknowledged the unexpected spotlight. In case you missed it,
Being unable to secure the gold medal in pole vaulting at the #Olympics because you had too much dingaling, still qualifies as winning. That’s just me. We see you, le king. 😂🫵🏽✊🏽🥇 https://t.co/1Bs3foQ1RH
— Sassington, M.C. (@MissSassbox) August 3, 2024
French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati fails to medal after his Male organs knocked the bar over.
Wow, even though he lost the game, in a way, he won his life.#OlympicGames #Olympia2024 pic.twitter.com/OgDTFGXJ1A
— Alistair Pallesen (@yzimng2) August 3, 2024
In an interview with the French Athletics Federation, Ammirati explained, “I was at 100% physically, but I missed a little bit of the pole. The conditions were good. It was the first time that I attacked the competition with no stress. Because I was a total outsider, I only had one objective: to play with the public. I was almost there.”
But the story takes an even cheekier turn—rumor has it that an adult film website offered him $250,000 for a one-hour webcam show following his newfound fame. Although Ammirati didn’t leave Paris with a medal, he’s certainly received his share of global adoration (and some rather unique opportunities).
So while the world of sports may remember him for that viral jump, it seems Anthony Ammirati is taking it all in stride—package deal and all.