The 2024 Summer Olympics are in full swing and the best athletes from around the globe have taken the world by storm. While the competition heats up in the pool or on the track- the Olympians’ eyewear deserves gold medals all around. From performance sunglasses designed to enhance athletic performance to stylish frames that are making fashion icons out of dedicated professionals, these athletes have been showing off eyewear that brings both functionality and flair to Paris. We’ve rounded up some of the best glasses seen at this year’s Olympic Games.
The Spotlight on Eyewear
Pommel horse superstar Stephen Nedoroscik helped the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics team secure the bronze medal last week, the first time the team has medaled in 16 years, and quickly became an overnight sensation. The visually impaired gymnast who took to the floor without his glasses has been vocal about his eye conditions. Nedoroscik has strabismus, more often known as crossed eyes, and coloboma, a genetic condition resulting in missing eye tissue.
Kim Yeji is another bespectacled athlete that caught the attention of the world. The South Korean sharpshooter won the silver in her Olympic debut and had the internet abuzz with her effortlessly cool look, complete with a pair of unusual looking glasses. They may not be your everyday pair of specs, but shooting glasses are a common accessory to this sport nowadays. Comprised of three main components- the lens, iris, and blinders- they are entirely customizable, as was seen on many of competitors in Paris.
One Turkish sharpshooter opted out of the future-esque look and decided to keep it simple. Yusuf Dikec earned a silver medal after his air pistol mixed team performance in which he chose to wear eyeglasses rather than the specialized shooting lenses that aid in focus.
Great Britain’s Sam Ward suffered a hockey injury that left him nearly blind five years ago at a qualifying match for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This year he returned to the field with his teammates, determined not to let the injury mark the end of his career. Ward was seen competing in matches with a protective face mask on, reminding everyone of the importance of proper sports eyewear protection.
Several other Olympians wore corrective eyewear while competing, including Baptiste Addis (France), Ana Vazquez (Mexico), Mete Gazoz and Abdullah Yildirmis (Turkey) in archery; Amy Millar (Canada) in equestrian; Farsad Baher (Iran) in fencing; and Felix Lebrun (France) in table tennis.
Out of the Arena
When he’s not doing laps in the pool, Irish swimmer Daniel Wiffen can be spotted with his trusty pair of glasses. The 23-year-old Olympian broke the 800m freestyle Olympic record and won the gold medal for Ireland, a feat no Irishman had ever accomplished before Wiffen.
Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade took home the bronze in the Women’s Artistic Team All-Around event. As if that accomplishment wasn’t already impressive enough, she’s admitted she competes without using corrective lenses despite living with myopia. In the past, she’s joked about opting out of using contact lenses because she preferred to not see the balance beam well.
Gear Up, Shades On
Even the very best need protection from the sun’s UV rays. Recent research from The Vision Council revealed that usage among sports sunglasses users is high, particularly during activities like running and biking. Countless athletes donned their protective eyewear as they competed in events such as beach volleyball, cycling, golf, rowing and more.
