Watch This Video of Alaskan Students Freaking Out After High School Student Wins Gold in the Olympics
17-year-old Lydia Jacoby became a hometown hero after the stunning upset.
On Tuesday, high school student Lydia Jacoby won gold in the Tokyo Olympics women's 100m breaststroke in an upset against defending gold medalist Lilly King. Despite being populated by fewer than 3,000 people, Jacoby's hometown of Seward, Alaska didn't hold back on the celebration.
Xavier Laine | Getty Images
In a video posted by NBC, a crowd of people watching her shocking win from the Alaskan town can be seen cheering on the 17-year-old athlete.
STAND UP ALASKA!
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 27, 2021
17-year-old Lydia Jacoby WINS GOLD, and everybody's celebrating! #TokyoOlympics x @USASwimming
: NBC
: https://t.co/GFrdWbcFoO
: NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/leYOC2Mzju
In the video, the crowd can be seen screaming and flashing foam fingers before jumping out of their chairs in enthusiasm. In a separate watch party in Orlando, Jacoby's parents are also shown cheering on their daughter.
Jacoby appreciated the reaction, and laughed when being shown the video of people celebrating on her win. When asked what Jacoby wanted to tell the audience, she thanked everyone for "everything over these years" and told NBC that their support has been "amazing."
"We love to keep that gold in the USA family, so this kid just had the swim of her life and I am so proud to be her teammate."
— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 27, 2021
Lydia Jacoby and @_king_lil react to their gold and bronze medals in the women's 100m breaststroke. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/wIEXtFLkMq
This won't be Jacoby's only appearance at the Olympics, as she'll compete in the 4x100m medley relay and possibly the 4x100m mixed medley relay. But Jacoby can rest assured that she's already made history as Alaska's first Olympic swimmer.
"A lot of big-name swimmers come from big, powerhouse clubs,'' Jacoby told ESPN. "Me coming from a small club, in a state with such a small population, really shows everyone that you can do it no matter where you're from.''
Related: Google Creates Its Most Elaborate Doodle in Honor of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
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