Tinder Sees 129% Spike In Matches At The Olympic Village In Rio

Tinder has reported a 129% spike in matches in the Olympic village in Rio.

Around 10,000 athletes are competing in this year’s Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, and all of them are staying in 31 apartment blocks located in the same secluded area of the city.

And having looked at Tinder’s usage stats in the village, it seems that athletes are turning to the online dating app for a bit of downtime and distraction from their upcoming events.

Rosette Pambakian from Tinder said usage of the app has skyrocketed in Rio since the start of the Olympic games last week, the app seeing 129% more matches in the area.

Julie Spira, an online and mobile dating expert commented on the spike, saying: “The Olympics is a very sexually charged time.

“Young athletes and attendees have been using dating apps heavily in prior Olympics, but now the popularity of an app like Tinder continues to grow and grow.”

In 2012, it was reported that Olympic organisers put in place strict guidelines for athletes using social media.

However, during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the regulations were loosened and there was a surge in mobile dating and social media usage.

And two years on, countries’ committees do not appear to be too concerned about athletes using online dating during the games, which could perhaps explain the huge 129% spike Tinder has seen.

Swedish judoka, Marcus Nyman said that he had 10 matches within his first day in the Olympic village, saying: “A lot of the athletes here are using this app.”

And this comment has been proven by an Instagram and Tinder user called Sportsswipe who, using Tinder Passport, has managed to locate and screenshot around 500 profiles of Olympians in Rio.

Amongst the athletes are Team GB gymnast Louis Smith and US swimmer and winner of five Olympic gold medals, Ryan Lochte.

To read more about Sportsswipe and the Olympians swiping in Rio please click here.