The ever-increasing presence of Korean culture is palpable at the 2024 Paris Olympics, both inside and outside the event venues.
On July 28, Mexican artistic gymnast Alexa Moreno dazzled the crowd with her floor routine set to a medley of hits by K-pop sensation Stray Kids, including “S-Class,” “Maniac” and “LALALALA.” Sporting vibrant blue hair, Moreno executed a series of dynamic flips and rolls to the music of the K-pop octet. Although she did not advance through the qualifications, her performance captured the hearts of K-pop fans worldwide and quickly went viral.
Moreno’s performance even caught the attention of Stray Kids, with member Hyunjin acknowledging her use of their music for her Olympic routine. 추천 He wrote on FANS, a fan community platform for JYP artists, “I’m so honored. She was so beautiful.” Moreno shared this message on her X account with screaming face emojis, expressing her surprise and excitement.
The Mexican gymnast has long expressed her love for K-pop, particularly Stray Kids. She had posts about attending their concerts, training to their songs and even wrote, “The only thing missing is a greeting from @Stray_Kids,” after winning a gold medal in the vault at the 2023 Paris World Challenge Cup.