Bahamian sprinter's finish line dive blows up the internet with these gold medal memes

Bahamian sprinter Shaunae Miller won a gold medal in breathtaking form in the women’s 400m last night by diving across the finish line and snatching victory from favored rival and four-time Olympic gold medal winner Allyson Felix.

Now, the internet is reacting to Miller’s flying finish with a viral load of memes featuring the Bahamian runner’s “golden” dive.

Social media in the Bahamas reacted immediately to Miller’s spectacular finish.

https://twitter.com/TGOSPodcast/status/765378901346430977

Some Twitter users suggested Miller should participate in other Olympic events.

While others imagined what it would look like if other athletes dove across the finish line.

Allyson Felix, the American sprinter who lost to Miller, said she was “devastated” by the race’s unexpected finish. Miller had hoped to win a fifth gold medal in the Olympics, which would’ve been a record for an American woman in track and field.

But others seemed to admire Miller’s determination to get the job done at all costs.

Miller’s dive was criticized by some fans and sports pundits who said it lacked class, and could encourage others to do the same in future races. But it’s worth noting that diving across the finish line is not prohibited by the rules, which say that the winner of a race is the person who gets his or her torso across the finish line first.

Diving is a risky gamble, however. As any baseball coach will tell you, if you’re trying to beat out a throw to first you can get to the bag faster by running through it rather than diving into it (plus you avoid scraping a knee or breaking a finger). But hey, it worked for Miller. She goes home with the gold.

Manuel Rueda is a correspondent for Fusion, covering Mexico and South America. He travels from donkey festivals, to salsa clubs to steamy places with cartel activity.