Believe it or not, gay men watch the Olympics for more than chiseled divers and gymnasts. There is an inherent underdog element to the athletes, many of whom spend years honing their crafts in obscurity.

Then every four years, they appear on the world stage, and become international sensations.

Or, in today’s speak, memes–which are like the new Wheaties box.

In that spirit, South Korean marksman Choe Dae-han is the latest Olympian to dominate timelines. He’s ready to shoot with all of his might!

Choe, who turns 20 in November, made his Olympics debut in the 10-meter air rifle. The objective is self-explanatory: Competitors, armed with air rifles, try to hit a bullseye target from 10 meters away.

Airguns, which use energy from compressed air and other gases, are usually used in sharpshooting competitions. For the 10-meter air rifle, marksmen must use rifles with a maximum weight of roughly 12 pounds.

Unlike other airgun disciplines, shots in air rifle contests are shot upright. That means athletes must stand firm, and arch their backs to ensure the steadiest position.

As a shooting enthusiast points out, standing in a lordotic posture creates a more stable position, allowing the shooter to rest his elbows on his ribs.

Choe may be small, but there’s no knocking him down. He sees right through you, my dear!

The Korean record-holder in the men’s 10-meter air rifle (with a score of 634.1 points), Choe ended his first stage of competition in 7th place. He also competed in the mixed 10-meter air rifle team contest, finishing 22nd the qualification round in 22nd place.

Though Choe will leave Paris without a medal, his teammates are ensuring Korea is represented at the podium. Oh Ye Jin and Kim Yeji took home gold and silver in the women’s 10-meter air pistol, respectively, and became gay icons themselves.

With a strong dose of main character energy and fierce futuristic shades, Kim might be the biggest viral star of the Olympics so far–besides pommel horse king Stephen Nedoroscik, of course. A TikTok account called “lesbianservice” described Kim’s appeal thusly: “She’s the most cool person i’ve ever seen.”

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@lesbianservice

she’s the most cool person i’ve ever seen. #olympics #paris #parisolympics2024 #olympics2024 #kimyeji #??? #wlw #wlwtiktok #lesbian #sapphic #southkorea

? AURA – Ogryzek

Interestingly, most of the clips of Kim being shared are from this year’s International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Azerbaijan. Kim cleaned up, setting a world record in the women’s 25-meter pistol event and winning silver in the women’s 10-meter pistol competition.

“Gay men thirsting over the lithe sun-kissed swimmers’ bodies of Team Italia and lesbians thirsting over a woman in a backwards hat and a severe bob doing shooting—this is what those people at Stonewall died for,” noted an astute observer.

Punk attire aside, Kim also has a playful side. The ultimate punctuation to her now-trademark look is an elephant blanket dangling from her hip. The stuffed animal reportedly belongs to her 5-year-old daughter.

Kim is literally mother. Can this woman get any cooler?

With shooting competitions lasting through August 5, gays still have time to familiarize themselves with Choe, Kim and our other favorite marksmen and women. The only catch is, it requires focus…

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