Viewers are used to having their minds blown by the athletes at every Olympic Games, but the rhythmic gymnasts at the Summer 2024 Paris Olympics have taken it to a whole new level—and fans are losing their heads over it.
The rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualification took place at Paris' Porte de La Chapelle Arena on Thursday, Aug. 8, and a series of new action shots from the competition had fans doing a double take. It appears that the pics were snapped at just the right time to make it look like some gymnasts were headless.
As seen in the pictures shared on the NBC Olympics Instagram page , the talented athletes—who use balls, hoops, clubs, ribbon and ropes throughout their routines—tripped fans out with their hyper-flexibility, which gave the photos the illusion that their heads had somehow disappeared.
And the mind-boggling pics aren't even edited, as the NBC Olympics account added in the caption, "These aren’t photoshopped, we swear."
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Among the impressive athletes pictured in the post was Team Italy's Sofia Raffaeli , whose head appeared to be replaced by her prop as she leaped in the air with the giant pink sparkly ball on her chest.
Another shot was taken of Team Italy's Milena Baldassarri when she was mid-air during her routine. Jumping to do a split in the air while holding a ribbon in one hand, the athlete bent backward so far that her head was completely out of the frame.
The final photo featured Team Spain's Alba Bautista , who held a teal ball in front of her chest during a jump. Her head appeared to be bent all the way back, giving off that headless effect in the still shot.
"What in the bowling ball is going on here?" one user in the Instagram comments wanted to know, while another confused viewer said, "My brain isn't processing this correctly."
Another fan called the rhythmic gymnasts a "must watch" when it comes to the Olympic games. "I’m not sure anyone can comprehend the eye hand coordination nor the incredible proprioception one needs to do this. Mind boggling."
"Those women are INCREDIBLE!" another comment read.
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