There are dozens of competitions happening daily in Tokyo, but many see one clear winner from this year’s Olympic Games: TikTok.
Posting to the video sharing app has become a frequent activity for many Olympians and has given users around the world an inside look at the Olympic Village, interactions between the athletes and answers to some of the Games most pressing questions (how comfortable are those cardboard beds, really?).
Here’s a roundup of some of the best TikToks from Olympic athletes who have ties to Illinois.
Kelsey Robinson
Kelsey Robinson is a returning member of Team USA’s Olympic volleyball team and has more than 96,000 followers on TikTok. The former Wheaton St. Francis and Nebraska standout was a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team that won bronze.
Raven Saunders
Shot-putter Raven Saunders won NCAA indoor and outdoor shot put titles in her freshman year at Southern Illinois before transferring to Mississippi, where she won two more national championships.
Saunders has been open in talking about her sexuality and her struggle with depression, and has used her platform both at the Olympics and on social media to talk about mental health, especially in the Black community.
The 25-year-old won the silver medal on Sunday.
Lauren Doyle
Eastern Illinois graduate Lauren Doyle is a member of the U.S. women’s rugby team. While she’s only posted a handful of TikTok videos of herself these Games, she’s been featured on the account of teammate Ilona Maher, whose daily posts have garnered much attention on the app.
Andrea Filler
Filler is a former Northwestern softball player and current director of operations for Wildcats softball and field hockey. She played second base for Italy’s Olympic team in Tokyo.
Elizaveta Pletneva and Nicole Sladov
Pletneva and Sladov are members of the Deerfield-based U.S. rhythmic gymnastics team.
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