The 2021 Tokyo Olympics has continued to make waves online, now that the competitive activities are in full swing. Just recently, the global event tickled gamers’ fancy when iconic game music was played during the Olympic march of each country’s delegation. And now, gamers are finding out that they may have more in common with the world’s incredible athletes. One such player even recorded a short clip of an Olympic volleyball player showcasing her love for the Spider-Man video game on the PlayStation 5, indicating that gamer and athlete interests may not be far off from each other.
This is not the first instance wherein an Olympic athlete showed off their love for the gaming universe. An Olympic gold medalist paid homage to Witcher while being awarded on the podium, wearing a unique piece of jewelry that only hardcore fans would recognize. Another even cosplayed Resident Evil Village’s popular Lady Dimitrescu. Given that the event plays host to hundreds of athletes from around the world, there is a large chance that some of these individuals thoroughly enjoy gaming as a pastime.
On Twitter, Aaron Jason Espinoza, or @TheAgentofDoom, recently shared a recorded clip of an Olympic volleyball player proclaiming her love for Sony’s Spider-Man video game. The athlete in the video is Kelly Claes, a professional beach volleyball player that is representing the United States in the international competition. In the video, the interviewer mentioned that they heard Claes had a PlayStation in her hotel room, and told her to enjoy it while she was resting in between matches. Claes was very enthusiastic when she said, “Spider-Man all day,” though her teammate protested that she was playing the game without her.
The interview was not clear on whether Claes had a PS4 or PS5 in her hotel room. It also was not stated in the clip if she was enjoying the 2020 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales or the recently enhanced Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered. Fans on Espinoza’s Twitter thread commented that those who watched the match would know she was playing the PS4 version of Spider-Man, while others speculated that she was likely enjoying the 2018 game, pointing out that it was more popular than the Miles Morales version. Either way, with Claes’ energetic response, it seems the game version does not matter as long as Spider-Man was in the title.
With a few more weeks left until the end of the Olympic Games, fans are likely hoping that more trivia involving gaming and the athletes will surface online. Given that the games are being hosted in Japan, with Google even launching an Olympic-themed browser game in celebration, this hope is likely not very far off from reality.