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The Norwegian swimmer who has gone viral for his obsession with the chocolate muffins in the Olympic village is still mulling over how he might capitalise on his new-found fame.
Henrik Christiansen, better known as ‘muffin man’, is still flabbergasted by the degree to which his social media following has exploded over the course of these Games, ever since he started documenting his love for the “11 out of 10″ sweet treats in Paris.
Four of his TikToks have attracted more than 10 million views – the most popular video nearing nearly twice that at 17.8 million.
Christiansen, 27, told the PA news agency: “I think three weeks ago I had 3000 followers on TikTok, now I’m at almost half a million. So it’s been unreal. You never really think it’s going to happen. You see other people blowing up like that and then you think it’s never going to happen to you, but here I am.
“I think as professional athletes we are definitely in the entertainment industry, so we kind of need to produce content by doing the sport and also being on social media. We need to produce content that other people want to watch.
“That’s how we can make money, so if I’m now able to earn more money from doing my sport and being able to continue doing that for longer, I would love that. I still have to see yet. Currently I haven’t dived too much into it, but hopefully I can make a little bit by doing it.”
In one video, Christiansen is seen strutting down the street, two muffins in each hand, to the tune of the bass-heavy Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas theme song.
In another, he is “caught” chocolate-handed with a stash in his bedside drawer.
There are also glimpses of competition life, including one poking fun at ongoing concerns over conditions in the Seine ahead of Christiansen’s open-water 10 kilometres event.
I think three weeks ago I had 3000 followers on TikTok, now I’m at almost half a million. So it’s been unreal— Henrik Christiansen
It was captioned: “Guys if I don’t survive this, tell my fans I love them.”
Paris was a third Olympics for Christiansen, who also took part in the men’s 1500 metres freestyle and the men’s 800 metres freestyle.
He knew in advance he wanted to document his experience on TikTok, and just happened to pick up one of the gooey-centered muffins during his first meal in the village.
The savvy Scandinavian is a shining example of the special genre of stories that feel like they can only come out of an Olympic or Paralympic Games, elevating the profile of a hard-working and dedicated athlete who would not usually attract anywhere near the same level of attention.
Earlier this week, he posed for a picture with the visiting Crown Prince Haakon, heir apparent to the Norwegian throne.
He said: “I never in my life thought that I would be taking fan photos in the Olympic village, because that’s (usually) only the biggest athletes, but I’ve been doing it. People have been coming up to me, chatting about the muffin, having a chat.
“It’s been really fun. I can’t really describe it. I also log off of all other social media during championships, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past nine or 10 years.
“So I try not to spend too much time focusing on that while I’m still competing, but now that I’m finished I guess I can indulge a bit more and see everything.”
I never in my life thought that I would be taking fan photos in the Olympic village, because that’s (usually) only the biggest athletes— Henrik Christiansen on picture with Crown Prince
Tony Dore became the official chief baker of the Olympic village after topping a podium of his own when he won a baguette-making competition held by Sodexo Live, who provide the village catering.
While the muffins are more standard-fare for Sodexco, Dore was responsible for coming up with another baked treat that was both easily portable for athletes and responsive to their nutritional needs.
Enter the pain au cacao, a twist on the classic French pain au chocolat, but using almost no butter or sugar and weighing in at under 130 calories per portion.
On Saturday, had the chance to meet the man who made his muffins viral, saying: “Maybe we can ask him to try my cocoa bread to see how he’s feeling and if the taste is good.
“But I have the answer, because all the athletes love them.”
Dore has woken up at four o’clock every day of the Olympics to prepare his products, which include 600 French baguettes and 900 cocoa breads per day.
The organisers’ idea was to give athletes a taste of French patisserie and bakery culture, and it has been a smashing hit, with queues usually forming before the seven o’clock opening.
Dore, who says “sometimes people come back two or three times a day”, also hosts daily baguette-making classes for athletes.
He is genuinely touched by the response from his Olympic patrons, adding: “I can’t explain my emotion, because it’s really really amazing to share these emotions with them, and that is the target, the goal, and it’s a real success.”
Philipp Wurz, food and beverage chief for Paris 2024, expected a dining area featuring the fare of five Michelin-starred chefs to be the most talked-about culinary offering at these Olympics.
Instead, it’s a muffin a Norwegian swimmer describes as having “a little bit extra to it.”
Wurz added: “It’s just very funny. If you had asked me beforehand what kind of products in our programme would be the top buzz on the internet, I would have never put a penny on a chocolate muffin.”
