Does anime’s presence at the Paris Olympics signal the end of the jock-nerd divide?

It’s becoming difficult to keep track of the multitude of anime references athletes have made at this year’s Olympic Games. There was Team USA sprinter Noah Lyles, who flashed “Yu-Gi-Oh!” cards during his pre-race closeups and posed for a “Dragon Ball” Kamehameha after winning the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint; U.S. shot putter Payton Otterdahl, who mimicked the protagonist of “One Piece” during his arena entrance; and the “Sailor Moon”-inspired routine by the Uzbekistan rhythmic gymnastic team, among numerous other examples.

“Even in professional sports, Jamaal Williams, Zion Williamson and Joel Embiid are actively leaning in on nerd culture and anime in particular,” said Tatiana Tacca, founder of anime and gaming brand consultancy Oni Vision. “I do feel like athletes have always been attracted to nerd culture, but maybe there just hasn’t been as much spotlight on it.”

The previous Summer Olympic Games, which took place in Tokyo, also came with a fair share of anime references. A Japanese television host, for example, dressed up as a “Naruto” character to present part of the event. But at this year’s Olympics, the anime references have gone into overdrive, and they are primarily coming from the athletes themselves.

“I think it’s safe to say that anime is one-upping the moment that it had during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which culturally made a lot of sense given the games’ host city,” said Kerry Waananen, a journalist and marketer who has covered the rise of anime since 2022. “But I think the athletes and fans had so much fun with it that anime references have supplanted themselves into Olympic culture — likely the work of younger athletes and audiences picking up these moments on socials.”

Generational changes in the perception of anime could help to partially explain the explosion of anime references at this year’s Olympics. While some millennials and older Gen Z athletes might still perceive anime as geek territory, this perception has gone out the window for younger athletes in the Gen Z and Gen Alpha groups, who grew up surrounded by the medium. Given the average age of Olympic athletes is about 26.5 years, it’s no surprise that this year’s crop of Olympians is smack dab in the middle of the anime-embracing demographic.

“The 90s animation revival and blockbuster hits certainly play a part,” said Yasu Sasaki, global chief creative officer of dentsu. “The generation that grew up enjoying movies like ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Toy Story’ are today’s brand decision makers. They instinctively ‘get’ anime, and the devotion of its fandom.”

Sports at the elite level have always been the epitome of cool, a source of inspiration and aspiration for millions around the world. This summer, the world’s eyes are on a sporting event that is drenched in anime references. As anime continues to share the limelight at the Paris Olympics, marketers would be wise to take note of the broader cultural shifts at play. In short, anime is cool now.

“There are anime fans that are drawing parallels between the nearly inhuman physical feats that happen in the Olympics and what anime characters are able to do in a more fantastical setting,” Tacca said. “When we see these athletes be able to achieve such extraordinary things, I think it’s either a subconscious or unconscious comparison to what exists in anime.”