Olympic athlete Ilona Maher gives insight into dating at the 2024 Paris Games
The IndependentStay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. On July 22, the Team USA rugby sevens player took to her TikTok account, giving insight into the dating scene from the Olympic headquarters in Paris. Riffing off the internet’s recent obsession with the reality dating show Love Island, Maher said: “Hey guys, there’s already success in the villa.” She continued: “Naya got a number.” The two female competitors were filmed side-by-side in what appeared to be a cafeteria in the Olympic Village. One journalist for Vice confirmed that Olympic athletes in Tokyo were primarily on dating apps during the delayed summer 2021 games. She continued: “Can Akkuzu, a French table tennis player, said he was using the app to ‘meet new people from the village, see how it goes,’ he told me.” This year, of course, athletes might pursue romantic relationships in-person or over dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, which generate suggestions based on the profiles within proximity.