The Olympics are about athletes from all nations and disciplines interacting in the spirit of competition.
That played out for Michaela Blyde, a pro rugby player in New Zealand, at Friday’s opening ceremony when she spotted Jamaican sprinter and eight-time Olympic medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
Blyde was part of New Zealand’s Olympic gold medal team in 2020 and is the only woman to win back-to-back World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year titles.
The chance to meet Fraser-Pryce, though, turned her into a 12-year-old meeting Taylor Swift.
Michaela Blyde tries to calm herself down after spotting Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in the Olympic Village on July, 26 2024. Instagram @michaaelablyde
Blyde posted to Instagram after spotting Fraser-Pryce, the two-time 100-meter sprinting champion, captioning the post: “I just saw royalty. How do I become Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s friend?”
After Fraser-Pryce liked the video, followed Blyde back and sent a direct message, the rugby star was in awe.
“Oh my god, look. Oh my god, we’re best friends!” Blyde says on a Tik Tok video she posted, clearly on another planet. “She’s my best friend!”
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Later, she asks her teammates: “What do I do? What do I do?” while reacting excitedly upon seeing Fraser-Pryce is typing a response.
Blyde, who was a gold medalist in Tokyo, then hands her phone over to a teammate to respond for her and ask for a picture.
Michaela Blyde shares her sought after picture with Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce on Instagram on July, 26 2024. Instagram @michaaelablydeThe eventual meeting between the two was captured on video as well, with the two hugging and taking a photo.
“I just met my idol in a stained shirt, baggy shorts and bare feet. @realshellyannfp you have no idea this country kiwi kid is so happy,” Blyde captioned the video.
Michaela Blyde meeting her idol Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in the Olympic Village in Paris on July, 26 2024. Instagram @michaaelablydeThe women’s rugby sevens tournament starts on Sunday, with New Zealand set to face China and Canada in Pool A.
Blyde, however, has surely gotten one of her Olympic highlights already.
