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The Canadian pole vaulter who divided the internet when she celebrated her Olympic bronze medal by twerking, revealed that her risqué celebration was done as a harmless prank on her coaches.
Alysha Newman, who placed third in the event after clearing 4.85 meters said she wanted to scare her “intense” coaches who built her up to become an Olympic medalist.
“I’m always injured, and I’m always getting back on the horse so I said I’m gonna go and scare my coaches because I want them to lighten up.” Newman told CBC Sports. “So I said I’m gonna fake an injury and dance after.”
The 30-year-old went viral after she concluded her record-setting performance, where she shook her backside toward the crowds and television cameras with a large grin across her face.
Many critics have questioned whether she was trying to promote her OnlyFans account or just celebrating with a silly dance.
“It just happened very fluid,” Newman told the outlet. “I didn’t think I’m gonna twerk, but just from grabbing that to getting to the knee with a twerk it all just worked out in one.”
Newman saw her adult content profile skyrocket in viewership following her viral celebration.
“Of course, many people have a certain cliché when they think of OnlyFans. I can’t change many people’s minds,” Newman told German publication BILD.
Newman’s celebration may have been inspired by a TikTok trend where people pretend to be injured and hobble to the ground before they start twerking on their unsuspecting target.
The trend can be traced back to American women’s soccer star Lo’eau Labonta, who has earned the nickname “Celly Queen” for her elaborate victory dances while playing for the Kansas City Current in the NWSL, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Newman denied knowing of Labonta’s unique dance but may “have seen it in the past.”
“I got to go look at it and I’ll put us together on an Instagram or something,” Newman said.
The three-time Olympian failed to make it out of the Qualification round at the 2016 Rio Games and pole vaulter and made “no mark” at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, failing to take off on all three attempts to move.
Newman’s bronze medal was the first ever won by a Canadian female pole vaulter at the Olympics.
Following the 2020 games, Newman said she “retired a million times in her head” but still returned to compete for Canada in Paris.
“I didn’t show up to some practices and said ‘I can’t do this anymore’ but look where I am no, I’m a bronze medalist and no one can take that title away from me.”
Newman now has her sights set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and is interested in the silver or a gold medal.
