Tokyo Olympics 2020: USA Swimming Team's Face Masks Spark A Meme Fest Online

The latest meme template to emerge out of the Tokyo Olympics is provided by members of the US swimming team, who were sporting a very distinct face mask while on the medal podium. Their large, white masks have wrinkled patterns and they appear like accordions. On one side, “USA” is written in red. The masks have triggered a meme fest with some social media users comparing the team members to Batman villain “Bane” and to another fictional character Hannibal Lecter, a serial killer created by novelist Thomas Harris. Both these popular characters had their faces covered by a mask.

As the trend picked up, even the Olympics official Twitter handle tweeted about it.

Is it Bane? No. It's @TeamUSA #Swimming #Tokyo2020 | #UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) July 25, 2021

The image showed Kieran Smith of Team United States wearing the mask and posing with the bronze medal for the Men's 400m Freestyle Final on day two of the Games. The mask appears to be inspired by Origami, the art of folding papers popular in Japanese culture. However, social media users had a different take on the masks.

Most of them felt the face mask looked like the one worn by Bane (played by Tom Hardy in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, a part of the Batman Trilogy).

Cool to see @USASwimming found a way to employ Bane and had him design their Olympic masks. pic.twitter.com/mMuw2QJvvy

— John Rouleau (@John_Rouleau) July 25, 2021

One user said though he was enjoying watching the swimming events, these face masks were “creeping him out”.

Really enjoying the Swimming events at #Tokyo2020 #Olympics so far however I must say, #TeamUSA face masks are creeping me out. pic.twitter.com/48lk5GxV3e

— Karl Felsman (@KarlFelsman) July 26, 2021

Another said, "Team USA masks for the podium look like the medalists are about to close off Gotham's bridges and become allies with darkness”.

Team USA masks for the podium look like the medalists are about to close off Gotham's bridges and become allies with darkness #Olympics #USA pic.twitter.com/ppQ5zzWN0W

— Nick Quaranto ???????????????? (@qrush) July 25, 2021

Take a look at some more interesting memes below.

Holy face mask Batman #Olympics #swimming #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/U3JWJiy4QK

— Out of our League (OOOL) ???? (@OOOL1908) July 25, 2021

#USA team masks at #OlympicGames a little familiar pic.twitter.com/bmtXq6dj6V

— gurmit singh (@gurms) July 27, 2021

Team USA wearing either a Bane mask or part of a space shuttle? 2021 is weird #Tokyo2020

— Kate McNamara (@kaydo) July 25, 2021

Tom Hardy's performance as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises was initially criticised primarily because the mask prevented the character from delivering his speech clearly and also viewers did not get to see Hardy's full face to understand the character. The film's director Christopher Nolan later defended Bane's portrayal saying the “character has yet to be fully appreciated”.