Olympics viewers praise rhythmic gymnast's 'Thriller' routine as 'phenomenal' clip goes viral

Move aside Simone Biles - there's another gymnastic powerhouse in the making.

Obviously Biles, one of the most decorated gymnasts in Olympic history, was the talk of this year's Games; but a young Ukrainian gymnast also caught people's attention.

16-year-old Taisiia Onofriichuk took part in the women's rhythmic individual all-around competition on Thursday (August 8), and it's safe to say her performance was one to remember.

Onofriichuk did a hoop routine to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' - a far cry from the usual classical music that athletes often opt to perform to.

She even sported a black and red outfit which paid homage to Jackson's famous leather jacket.

While the performance was beautifully elegant, Onofriichuk still stayed true to the song by adding in a couple of 'Thriller' dance moves from the song's zombie-themed music video.

Onofriichuk's routine landed her a spot in Friday's final (August 9), where the teenager finished in ninth place.

With the choice of song and her stellar performance in mind, people were quick to take to social media to praise the 16-year-old star for her work.

"The 'Thriller' performance at the Olympics is absolutely mesmerising," one person raved on X. "Combining rhythmic gymnastics with such iconic music is next-level creativity," they added.

A second wrote: "The way the entire crowd claps to the beat for her. She is such a natural performer."

Meanwhile on Reddit, someone hailed her performance as 'phenomenal' as another described the song as a 'certified banger'.

With there being an ongoing war in Ukraine following Russia's invasion in 2022, many Ukrainian athletes feel more compelled than ever to do well for their country.

Speaking to Reuters, Onofriichuk said: "I'm incredibly proud to be representing Ukraine right now, especially during war and the conditions that we're training in, under bombs and under daily attacks."

Olha Kharlan of Ukraine's fencing team echoed similar sentiments. Speaking after the national team won gold at this year's Games, Kharlan said to Ukrinform: "I really wanted this medal. And when we did win, we realized how much these moments unite Ukraine.

"I've seen a lot of videos, how many people are rooting for us, how happy you all were. And it's very nice, and in such a difficult time that our country is going through, because of the war, it was really a moment of joy."