Emily Brown
An OnlyFans creator and Olympic athlete has explained why she celebrated securing a medal with a raunchy gesture in front of the crowd.
There are loads of different ways to celebrate success. It could be done with champagne or cake, a speech or just a simple bow.
At the Olympics, athletes often opt for a cheer, maybe a fist pump or an excited jump up and down. But pole vaulter Alysha Newman went for a more unusual celebration.
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The athlete, from Canada, secured a bronze medal at Paris 2024 after taking on Australia's Nina Kennedy and US athlete Katie Moon, and in doing so became Canada's first Olympic pole vault medallist in 112 years.
To celebrate the milestone moment, Newman could be seen running across the floor of the stadium, but at one point she appeared to hold her leg as if she'd injured herself.
However, it then become apparent that she was just playing with the crowd, as she squatted and began twerking in the middle of the Stade de France with a huge grin on her face.
The 30-year-old received some mixed responses from viewers over her reaction to placing third place, with one viewer accusing her of 'ruining the moment' with her twerk.
But other people were a lot more enthusiastic about her chosen response, with one writing: "That was her moment and she seized it."
Following the viral scene, Newman has now spoken out to explain exactly what was going through her mind.
Speaking to TSN, she said: "I'm so excited. I laugh because getting third is, I mean I've never got third, but it's funny because you have to still wait and sit there and wait until the other girls are done.
"So I'm so awkwardly standing there like, "What do I do? Do I celebrate? Do I kiss everyone? Do I cry?"
Needless to say, Newman eventually decided she would celebrate, and she did it with flair.
"It was a really surreal moment and it was awesome," she continued. "I just feel like I'm very emotionally stable right now and just feel so honoured to be the first (women's) pole vaulter to bring home an Olympic medal for Canada."
Newman clearly has no regrets over any of her actions in Paris, and in a video shared on her Instagram story could be heard talking more about the moment.
"That's why I did that celebration, because it's a representation of like, 'I'm injured constantly but I never give up, I never stop'," she said.