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Fans lose mind for Team USA's upside-down Michael Jackson moonwalk routine (VIDEO)

The United States synchronized swimming team performed a mind-blowing “Smooth Criminal” routine at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Matthew Graham

The Jackson Victory Tour with Jermaine, Marlon, Jackie, Tito, Randy and Michael on stage at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey July 31, 1984.
The Jackson Victory Tour with Jermaine, Marlon, Jackie, Tito, Randy and Michael on stage at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey July 31, 1984. / Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s hard to get noticed when you’re a non-marquee sport at the Olympics, especially as part of the star-studded Team USA with names like Simone Biles, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Noah Lyles, and the list goes on and on.

Enter the United States synchronized swimming team. They not only got noticed, but they went viral for their bonkers Michael Jackson routine to his popular hit “Smooth Criminal.” (UPDATE: The viral tweet this story originally noted has since been taken down. This version has 22 million as of this update.)

As of this posting, this video already has 12.7 million views, and that number keeps growing rapidly. You had us at, upside-down moonwalk! For those that don’t know what the original moonwalk looks like, it rocked the music industry and pop culture at the time.

Users were understandably blown away by the artistry and athleticism. A sampling:

Instant iconic! Not only did it impress social media, Team USA’s routine was good enough for second place behind China after the technical and free routines, with the acrobatic routine to decide the winner tomorrow. (Powerhouse Russia is not participating because of the war with Ukraine.)

Even if Team USA doesn’t medal, they’ve already won by pulling off the impossible: getting respect for synchronized swimming on social media of all places.

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Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.