Czech Decathlete Adam Helcelet is vying for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, but according to the internet, he's already won gold with his epic mustache.
Helcelet, who is competing in the men's decathlon, turned heads at Wednesday's 100m heats when he stepped onto the track sporting a handlebar mustache.
“He may have just tied a fair maiden to a railroad track before coming here, with that mustache," quipped Tim Hutchings, NBC's Track & Field analyst for the event.
Helcelet's facial hair style, however, is more than just a trend. The self-proclaimed history buff told World Athletics in a 2020 interview that he began to grow out the look in honor of the Czech Republic's centennial.
“In 2018 our country celebrated 100 years as a republic, so I wanted to grow my mustache like they wore at that time. My friends hated it, so I love it!” he said.
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His love of history led Helcelet and his training partners to launch in 2019 Decathlonpedia.com, an encyclopedia of resources for young athletes to learn about the history and people associated with decathlon in order to "discover the stories of the greatest athletes in the world."
Meanwhile, on social media, Twitter users noted Helcelet's "glorious" mustache deserved Olympic recognition.
"Adam Sebastian Helcelet twiddling his moustache into perfect formation ahead of each effort is the level of commitment you want from your Decathletes," wrote @decathletesofeurope.
Helcelet's son even got in on the mustache action, sporting a drawn-on handlebar look for a "daddy and me" photo op.
To see Helcelet's mustache in action, watch the Men's decathlon discus event on Wednesday at 8:50 p.m. ET on NBC or stream it live here.
