What is the ‘your third leg was phenomenal’ TikTok? Olympics innuendo goes viral

Georgina Smith
Clare Balding talking to Olympic swimmer

A clip of British broadcaster Clare Balding interviewing two Olympic swimmers is going viral on TikTok after she made an accidentally hilarious innuendo.

Although the Tokyo Olympics hasn’t been able to go ahead as originally planned, athletes from a huge range of countries have been coming out in full force to put their training to the test to battle for gold, impressing millions of viewers across the globe in the process.

Just like every other year, the event has naturally become a huge talking point online, with figures like Joe Rogan weighing in on some of the biggest stories and controversies from this year.

But unlike other Olympic Games, 2021’s has coincided perfectly with the height of TikTok’s popularity so far, with the platform having become the central hub of viral content on the internet for many.

TikTok logo on dark background
TikTok has become a hub of viral content.

Viewers haven’t hesitated to share the most dramatic moments, from emotional wins to unfortunate blunders.

But the latest clip to go viral wasn’t due to an athlete, but a commentator. British broadcaster Clare Balding was interviewing GB gold medalists Tom Dean and Matthew Richards after the 4x200m men’s freestyle relay when she abruptly made an unintentional innuendo.

“Your third leg was just phenomenal,” she said enthusiastically, referring to the third leg of the relay. Of course, the double meaning wasn’t missed by the two swimmers, who struggled to stifle a laugh as they continued with the interview.

This was naturally picked up on by social media users, and the short clip promptly went viral on TikTok, the video spreading to For You Pages across the world.

Click here if TikTok doesn’t load

One video has over 7 million views and 900,000 likes, and the BBC themselves even ended up uploading the clip to their own TikTok account.

One comment from user Taylormade Taylor with over 100,000 likes read: “18 and held it together here without laughing hysterically. That’s an achievement on its own.”

The unexpected moment was the perfect material for viral TikTok content, and now millions of people have seen these swimmers’ hilarious reaction as it continues to spread across countless FYPs.

About The Author

Georgina was formerly an entertainment writer for Dexerto. She covered all aspects of influencer culture on TikTok and more, including creators such as Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae. She also wrote about hit reality shows such as Love Island and Below Deck.

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