Olympics-Gymnastics-American Hong propelled by the sweet smell of success

By Karen Braun

PARIS (Reuters) - Most gymnasts would prioritise packing items such as uniforms, tape and hand grips when preparing to compete on the world's biggest stage but inspirational fragrances were on top of American Asher Hong's mind heading to Paris.

The 20-year-old has over 70 bottles of perfume in his collection and has brought seven with him to the Games, reflecting the recent social-media-driven rise in fragrance enthusiasm among young adults.

Before Saturday's qualification round, Hong spritzed himself with Yves Saint Laurent's Y Eau de Parfum, his typical competition fragrance.

"When I put the (fragrance) on, I know it’s go time. Like, that’s the mood. It sets the tone," Hong told Reuters after competing in the first session of qualifying on the opening day of the Olympic gymnastics competition.

Y Eau de Parfum was also the first bottle he bought when he started his collection roughly two years ago, and he is apparently not alone in his hobby or its timing.

Kateryna Cherakaieva, who manages the high-end Parfums de Marly boutique in Paris, told Reuters she has recently seen an increase in interest from young people.

"We definitely see a lot of Generation Z in our store," she said. "They are interested in perfumery, niche perfumery in particular."

Niche fragrance houses like Parfums de Marly differ from designers like Yves Saint Laurent because their blends are hand-created in smaller batches, making them more unique and personalised.

That also means higher costs, as some niche perfumes can cost several hundred dollars.

Cherakaieva was pretty certain from where the young, predominantly male crowd is deriving their passion.

"Tik Tok," she laughed. "I think it is Tik Tok or other social media they have seen. (It is) really kind of cool because they know the (fragrance) notes, they are interested in notes."

Hong brought with him to Paris two of Parfum de Marly's fresher offerings, which were thoughtfully selected based on typical Parisian summer weather.

"For the climate here in Paris right now I knew I would want to opt for something more fresh, more bright, especially with the humidity."

The U.S. men are expected to advance to Monday's team final.

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)