--- title: Chris Mazdzer Is a Meme Sensation After Winning Luge Medal description: The internet has developed a crush on American luge silver medalist Chris Mazdzer and the memes are hilarious. canonical: https://time.com/5155200/chris-mazdzer-internet-reactions/ author: Ashley Hoffman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-02-13T14:16:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:57:58.842Z og:title: The Internet Is Swooning Over Luge Sensation Chris Mazdzer og:description: He just ate a whole slice of pizza in one bite... og:url: https://time.com/5155200/chris-mazdzer-internet-reactions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0438cd4acb33a70/6989274186f68e48446e840d/gettyimages-917235270.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4335 og:image:height: 2438 og:image:alt: Medal Ceremony - Winter Olympics Day 3 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Internet Is Swooning Over Luge Sensation Chris Mazdzer twitter:description: He just ate a whole slice of pizza in one bite... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0438cd4acb33a70/6989274186f68e48446e840d/gettyimages-917235270.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Internet's New Favorite Pastime Is Swooning Over Luge Sensation Chris Mazdzer > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=f1a3e83c-77de-4dc1-be9b-8a1d08f188a4&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Meet Team USA: Chris Mazdzer [Watch (HLS stream): Meet Team USA: Chris Mazdzer](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FBc7TgAr.m3u8) (1:17)  _Published 2018-02-13. American Chris Mazdzer captured the first luge medal of any kind in U.S. history on Sunday, but he’s also been consistently charming people online, where a significant number of new winter sports fans have developed what is called an internet crush._ by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Feb 13, 2018 2:16 PM UTC by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Feb 13, 2018 2:16 PM UTC American Chris Mazdzer captured the [first luge medal of any kind in U.S. history on Sunday](http://time.com/5138220/team-usa-2018-winter-olympic-medals/), but he’s also been consistently [charming people online](http://time.com/5144173/virtue-moir-free-dance-2018-reactions/), where a significant number of new winter sports fans have developed what is called an [internet crush](http://time.com/5143878/adam-rippon-internet-reactions-olympics-2018/). It’s not easy to find an Olympic event that the U.S. hasn’t medaled in, but all thanks to Mazdzer’s quick moves in Sunday’s men’s singles luge event, there’s one less. He finished just behind the gold medal winner, Austria’s David Gleirscher with a final 3:10.728 time, marking the first time America got itself a luge medal since the sport was introduced in 1964. This was a successful turnaround for the 29-year-old from Massachusetts who’s competing in his third Olympic games. And he wants to use his success to encourage others. “It’s 16 years in the making,” Mazdzer told [NBC](https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/chris-mazdzer-wins-historic-silver-first-us-mens-singles-luge-medal-ever). “I’ve had a rough last two years, and it just shows: Don’t ever give up. Whenever you lose, keep fighting.” That’s our boy. This luger’s doing wonders for the sport. People who would otherwise be disengaged from whatever luge is – sledding down a narrow, serpentine track – have suddenly taken a shine to it. See some of the praise the internet is throwing him. Major life plans are underway. > [](https://twitter.com/StudJock/status/963390331915067397) Hollywood heartthrobs are irrelevant now. > [](https://twitter.com/danneilson29/status/963401046424018945) > [](https://twitter.com/TonicPat/status/963389828560637953) > [](https://twitter.com/TimFederle/status/962360101809131520) > [](https://twitter.com/calvinstowell/status/962849063048761346) Leslie Jones, official Olympics commentator, is a fan. > [](https://twitter.com/Lesdoggg/status/962441751964389376) And observe the way he eats a slice of pizza in just one bite. Winning. Typical Mazdzer fashion. > [](https://twitter.com/lagibbs84/status/962826305094864896) There’s never been a better time to celebrate a new national treasure. Join them if you like. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] My name is Chris Mazdzer. I compete in men's singles luge and I'm from Saranac Lake, New York. [ MUSIC ] My first memory of the Olympics is watching luge at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano. Luge is on the first day, so tuned in, saw the sport that I was doing as a child in a very amateur sense. And the first thing I remember is actually their speed suits being bright yellow and thinking how weird they looked. [ LAUGH ] And now I wear one every day pretty much. [ MUSIC ] I don't speak any Korean. I think when you go to a country, the most important thing's hello. Thank you. Please where's the bathroom, and then smile with all of that and you can pretty much get your way around everywhere. So I'm really excited about a couple of things. I'm stronger than I ever have been before. I'm pulling the fastest starts of my life I'm healthy and I'm very confident with my slides. So I can't wait to bring all of those things together and see how I perform in competition. 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