"Muffin Man"

Is he the secret (and funniest) Olympic star?

Swimmer Henrik Christiansen has become the "Muffin Man" thanks to his Tiktok videos.

(Bild: Associated Press, tiktok.com/henrikchristians1)

Is Henrik Christiansen the secret (and funniest) Olympic star? The Norwegian is actually a swimmer - but goes viral online with his videos as the "Muffin Man".

In 2019, he won silver in the 800-metre freestyle at the World Championships in South Korea. He has also won medals at other international competitions. However, there was still little for Christiansen to celebrate in Paris: on Saturday, he was eliminated in his showpiece event over 1,500 meters, and he also came sixth in the 800-meter freestyle preliminaries. But his videos are a hit online. Always with him: chocolate muffins. And there are obviously plenty of them in the bakery in the Olympic Village ...

Since his arrival in Paris, the 27-year-old has published several TikTok videos. His most successful clip with teammate Nicholas Lia now has 16.9 million views and over 2.4 million likes - Christiansen and his love of muffins are inspiring.

A video shows how the Norwegian's door opens in the Olympic village and Christiansen is caught. He is lying in bed with his head leaning over the bedside table, where he is - of course - eating a muffin. A closer look reveals: The whole drawer is full to bursting. Embarrassed and with a chocolate-smeared nose, the 27-year-old tries in vain to hide the camera.

Another TikTok clip shows Christiansen sitting on his bed and apologizing to the muffin - apparently a message under duress: a short time later, the swimmer is sitting against the wall, tied up and with his mouth taped shut. In front of him is the alleged kidnapper: a muffin.

"I'm just for Norway because I know the muffin man"
The muffins are "the very best thing in the Olympic Village", writes the Norwegian in the caption of one of his videos. His muffin love is "the only Olympic love story we care about", comments one user under a clip. "I'm just rooting for Norway because I know the muffin man and I'm not even mad about it," writes another.

With or without a medal at the Olympics - Henrik "Muffin Man" Christiansen is already a winner on the internet ...