What have Olympians been doing in the weeks since Paris 2024 ended?
From hugging royalty, sashaying down catwalks or even adding a croissant tattoo, Paris 2024 Olympians have been enjoying their downtime in the weeks since the Games concluded.
"Guys, we're legit about to meet the King," a smiling Ruby Tui said to her bemused teammates while at a reception for the New Zealand women's rugby team at Buckingham Palace. "How do we feel about meeting the King of England?"
Tui and her compatriots, some of whom had just weeks before defended their rugby sevens Olympic title at Paris 2024, looked as their captain did, incredulous that this was actually happening.
But happen it did, ahead of their rugby 15s match against England's Red Roses, and in a nod to King Charles' cancer diagnosis announced earlier in the year, the Black Ferns offered the only help they could.
"Can we give you a hug?" they asked.
"A hug, well yes, why not," said, you know, the King.
"It's like being flattened by a scrum," said the smiling monarch before describing the experience as "very healing".
Healing vibes for Letsile Tebogo
You'd think that any of the athletes who took part in the XXXIII Olympiad would struggle to top that 'this-can't-be-happening' moment post Paris 2024.
Hold my beer, said the new men's 200m Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo who was welcomed by tens of thousands of his compatriots as he returned home to southern Africa with the forever moniker of Botswana's first ever Olympic gold medallist.
But that huge welcome is not even the thing.
Returning to Europe for the concluding races of athletics' Diamond League season, the sprinting specialist – who also won silver in the men's 4x400m relay in Paris – took a trip to the Vatican to meet the Pope.
"Special day and special meeting," posted the 21-year-old who had also somehow navigated his breakout season despite the devastating loss of his mother in May.
"Today I had the honor to have been received by Pope Francis at the Vatican," posted Tebogo. "I showed him the gold medal won in Paris and he signed, after blessing it, the spikes I wore in the 200m Olympic final."
So, two stand-out moments for some of the class of 2024, but what else have the athletes been doing since the Olympic flag was officially passed to the next edition, LA28?
Leon Marchand heads to the party island of Ibiza
France's newly anointed Olympic hero, Leon Marchand hot-footed it straight over to the Mediterranean party island of Ibiza, as expected of a 22-year-old college student with much to celebrate.
The five-time Olympic medallist took to the decks alongside legendary French DJ David Guetta to continue the party the super-swimmer had started in his nation's capital.
"Such an honor," posted Guetta of being joined by the quadruple gold medallist, quite the accolade considering his own legacy of more than 10 million albums sold and more than 14 billion streams.
We know Marchand likes his records, in more way than one.
Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik take to the dancefloor
Others taking to the dancefloor in a slightly different capacity were women's rugby sevens star and hilarious social media poster, Ilona Maher, and gymnast Stephen Nedoscirk, both of Team USA.
The latter went viral during Paris 2024 after appearing to be asleep prior to his one routine on the pommel horse in the team event, before snapping open his eyes, removing his glasses Clark Kent-style and performing a superb routine to help the US men's squad to a bronze medal, the team's first since 2008.
Both are taking part in Dancing with the Stars, a live TV competition in which 12 celebrities are paired with professional dancers to compete for judges' points and audience votes. The couple with the lowest points are eliminated each week.
Stressful of sorts, but these two are Olympians. Their peers Laurie Hernandez and Shawn Johnson, both gymnasts, as well as Kristi Yamaguchi, Apolo Ohno and Adam Rippon, all winter sport athletes, have previously won the competition, so a little bit of added spice there for these competitive souls.
Other athletes have taken to the celebrity circuit in a different way.
Cindy Ngamba, the first athlete ever from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team to win an Olympic medal, with bronze in middleweight boxing, made an appearance in British Vogue while athletes Gabby Thomas, a three-time Olympic gold medallist in Paris, and Noah Lyles, the men's 100m champion, took to a different kind of track, sashaying down the catwalk at New York Fashion Week.
Back to reality, covered in Paris stardust
Other athletes went straight back to work, or to school.
Imogen Grant swapped her Olympic gold medal for a stethoscope as she headed to her first day as a junior doctor.
"Two childhood dreams in two weeks ain't bad," posted the British rower, who, alongside Emily Craig claimed the longed-for top spot in women's lightweight double sculls after missing out on the podium altogether at Tokyo 2020, by an agonising 0.01s.
Teenager Alex Shackell, meanwhile, provided the ultimate flex by taking her high-school senior photos with two Olympic medals draped casually over her shoulder. The 17-year-old swimmer won gold in the 4x100m medley and silver in the 4x200m freestyle relays.
Amusingly, history-making Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo joined in the 'Unfortunately I wasn't selected for the Olympics' trend, in which various amateur sport enthusiasts showcased a variety of their slapstick falls.
The two-time gold medallist in Paris poked fun at himself by changing the tagline to 'Unfortunately I was selected for the Olympics', alongside a video of the pommel horse routine in which he fell on the dismount, landing in a heap on the floor.
Still, making history by becoming only the second Philippines' athlete to become an Olympic champion is quite the balm to that error.
Australia's Fox sisters have had an island at the Sydney 2000 Olympic whitewater centre named after them, in recognition of the three gold-medals won between them in canoe slalom in Paris; a first Olympic medal for younger sibling Noemie Fox and fifth and sixth medals for 14-time world champion, Jessica Fox.
B-Boy Phil Wizard, meanwhile, opted for the more unusual croissant tattoo adorned with a gold medal, instead of the traditional Olympic rings, to represent his experience of winning breaking's inaugural edition at the Games.
GB swimmer Adam Peaty, meanwhile, got engaged to girlfriend Holly Ramsay – presumably with Holly's father, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, down to make the wedding cake – no doubt buoyed by the feel-good vibes that emanated throughout the City of Love during the Games.
The vibes that have clearly extended beyond Paris and into a post-Olympic dreamy haze for Olympians one and all.
