Olympic diver Jules Bouyer might not have earned any medals in the latest synchronized swimming competition, having placed 5th, but he’s taking home a very special and unexpected prize regardless.
Wearing a pair of tight speedos, viewers were quick to notice the size of the athlete’s “package,” with many praising, making fun of, and even fawning over Bouyer’s attributes on social media.
Highlights
- Olympic diver Jules Bouyer went viral due to his visible 'bulge' during competition.
- The popular underwear company Shinesty offered Bouyer a lifetime supply of undies and a sponsorship deal to 'protect his bulge.'
- Bouyer expressed discomfort over the focus on his appearance, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the sport instead.
A popular underwear company took notice of the phenomenon and made the swimmer a very special offer: a lifetime supply of undies to “protect [his] bulge.”
“When we saw what Olympic diver Jules Bouyer was packing in his South of France, it didn’t matter that we were an American company," a representative for Shinesty said.
An underwear company offered a French Olympic diver a “lifetime supply” of items in exchange for a sponsorship deal as he went viral over his “bulge”
Image credits: jules_bouyer
"We wanted to give ‘it’ a gold medal and protect that front truck of his for many Olympics to come."
The company’s marketing team has already come up with the idea for an entirely new line of underwear and swim trucks inspired by the athlete.
“We’re calling it ‘The Family Jules,’” Shinesty said, adding that the hypothetical line of clothing will come equipped with a “reinforced crotch.”
The company, known for its 'Ball Hammock Pouch Underwear' line of products, already reached out to Bouyer's family and Olympic authorities in hopes of securing a deal with the 22-year-old swimmer.
Image credits: jules_bouyer
“I prefer people to look at my dives rather than my swimsuit,” he said, according to L'Est Républicain.
“I saw this a few days ago. If it amuses some people to look at my underwear, that’s their problem,” he continued. “That being said, we must also not forget that [those kinds of comments] can take other athletes out of their bubble and that can hurt their performance.”
Jules competed in the men's synchronized 3m springboard alongside Alexis Jandard, but they were unable to secure any medals after scoring 5th with 369 points
Image credits: jules_bouyer
“The first dream is to win a medal and do that for every person in France who watches us hopefully do the best competition possible at the Olympics,” the athlete said in an interview with World Aquatics prior to the event.
“The second (dream) for me and Alexis, too, is that we want to grow the diving family with small clubs, big clubs and new pools, because right now in France it (diving) is not very popular.”
“We have been waiting for this for maybe 50 years, so it’s good for French diving,” Jandard said, making a reference to the fact that the last Olympic medal France won in the sport was by Mady Moreau at the Helsinki 1952 Games.
“We also want to inspire the kids watching, and now we hope that if kids see us and want to join us, they now have facilities that will allow them to do this.”
Viewers on social media decided to focus on the athlete’s attributes instead of his performance, with many joking and writing “thirsty” comments
Image credits: jules_bouyer
“I demand that a popular commission of inquiry be launched immediately to find out whether Jules Bouyer's jersey is really too tight, or not. I propose to be its president,” said one French viewer on X.
“One academic topic in which I am extremely interested now is French diver Jules Bouyer. I find this subject very intellectually rewarding & intriguing. This subject is something I think many others would also enjoy studying,” another wrote jokingly.
“Olympic diver Jules Bouyer's huge talent is truly eye-catching,” said one fan sarcastically.
This is not the end of the road for Bouyer, as he is set to compete in the singles version of the event on August 6, 2024, where he’ll have another shot at Olympic glory.
French comments were translated to English for this article.