Fact Check: Viral image showing a shooter aiming backward using a mirror makes a false claim, it’s not from Olympics 2024

Several photographs of Olympic athletes suffering from extreme heat are circulating on the internet, showing them sweating profusely. According to a report, in the men's 50m rifle 3-positions event, all eight finalists, including India's bronze-winner Swapnil Kusale, were seen sweating heavily at the Chateauroux shooting range. The temperatures in Paris have reportedly reached an unbearable 40 degrees Celsius on some days.

Even before the Games began, several contingents expressed concerns about the weather in Paris after the organizers announced they would shun air conditioning to reduce the event's carbon footprint.

Instead, the Games' organizing committee unveiled an underfloor cooling mechanism and built-in insulation to keep temperatures down at the Games Village. However, unconvinced about these measures, the USA contingent brought portable air conditioners. Reports suggest that other countries have also resorted to using portable ACs to manage the heat.

India has now joined this trend. These plug-and-play units are already being used by athletes, who are expected to have a more comfortable stay and better rest, which is crucial for good performance, according to a ministry source.

Talya Minsberg published an article in the New York Times on July 6, 2024, titled “This Olympics Could Be the Hottest Yet. Here’s How Athletes Are Preparing.” In the article, Talya mentioned a June report highlighting the potential health risks for athletes competing in extreme heat at this year’s Games. Amidst this backdrop, a photograph went viral on the internet, showing a shooter aiming backward using a mirror. The background of the image resembled the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.

Social media users shared the photograph with the caption, “The Olympics has a new legend.”

Fact Check: We found the claim is false, the viral photograph was digitally altered. Originally, it’s a screenshot from a comedy show.

In the comments section of the viral post, a user who shared the image posted an 18-second video with the caption, “The viral image of the Olympic shooter is actually photoshopped. It was taken from this show.”

A comparison of screenshots from the video and the viral photograph confirmed that they were the same except for the backdrop.

Observing the viral image closely, one can notice that some parts of the shooter appear blurry, and the background where "Paris 2024" is written looks slightly distorted.

A reverse image search of the viral image led to the official YouTube channel of Workpoint, which uploaded a video on August 15, 2019.

At the 3:09 timestamp, the exact frame resembling the viral image can be found. The viral image is a key frame from a comedy show featuring Pongsuwan on the Workpoint Official YouTube channel. In the video, Pongsuwan can be seen using a mirror to aim backward and shoot at a balloon behind his back.

Hence, the claim is false. The viral image is digitally altered and originally a screenshot from a comedy show.