Some heroes wear capes. Others wear one-of-a-kind clock chains and use their superpowers to celebrate excellence in women's sports.
When Flavor Flav, a prominent advocate of the athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics, heard that gymnast Jordan Chiles had been stripped of her bronze medal, the rap icon of Public Enemy immediately wanted to show his support.
"One of the best feelings that an athlete can have is when they're winning or when they won something, you feel me," Flavor Flav, 65, told USA TODAY on Wednesday. "I'm quite sure that for Jordan Chiles, and any other athlete that ever went through that...how devastating the feeling can be."
All eyes were on Chiles when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the judges wrongly approved an inquiry that increased her score and positioned her in third place over Romania's Ana Barbosu, as reported by USA TODAY's Tom Schad. The CAS' decision sparked widespread disappointment among fans like Flav, who were ecstatic about Chiles' achievements.
Flav quickly collaborated with his clockmaker Kellz to create a custom bronze-studded version of his signature accessory. The intention, he stated, is not to replace the medal but rather a gesture to demonstrate that she is highly respected for her talent.
2024 Paris Olympics: Follow USA TODAY’s coverage of the biggest names and stories of the Games.
"The bronze clock that I made for Jordan Chiles, it's a gift of love. It's a gift of appreciation. It's a gift of 'We recognize who you are, we appreciate who you are,'" Flav said. "That girl went out there and performed her behind off for that medal. She rightfully won the medal."
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Hype-man for women's sports
Flavor Flav, real name William Jonathan Drayton Jr., has consistently supported women during his Olympic era. In addition to showing love for Chiles, he and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian paid the rent of Team USA discus thrower Veronica Fraley. The rapper also shared multiple online fundraisers of other Olympians seeking donations to give them a chance to pursue their goals and dreams without financial hardship.
This rings true, especially with his monetary contribution to the USA Women's Polo Team. Although the team finished fourth at the Olympics, Flav commends captain Maggie Steffens and goalie Ashleigh Johnson for making it far. He will continue to support them following his five-year sponsorship deal with both men's and women's national teams.
"When these people aren't in the water, I still want water polo to be recognized and talked about. It's a very hard sport to play," Flav said. "Water polo is not a big sport like basketball or baseball or rugby or soccer, so what I wanted to do with my voice is bring more attention to the sport."
Dressed in red, white, and blue, Flav's charisma was evident as he cheered for them in the stands with other supporters, such as Guy Fieri and First Lady Jill Biden.
"While I was at those games, you had to hear my voice, man, loud like crazy," Flav said. "I was there to be more of the hype man because these girls won gold medals three years in a row, back to back. That's not an easy achievement. You know what I'm saying, so I was still trying to push them to that fourth gold medal."
Footage from Public Enemy performances in the 1980s and 90s shows Flav, one of the well-known hypemen in hip-hop, and his group members dominating the stage. The crowd cheered as the rappers spit their lyrics.
Years later, he felt that feeling of being a fan while watching the brilliance of the athletes in Paris sports arenas.
"For my first time ever at the Olympics, the excitement that I felt going through me from being there, I know it's the same thing for a lot of my fans when they come to my shows and I'm performing," Flav said.
Flav hopes his move inspires other celebrities to get involved in the Olympic space: "I think my voice has opened up a lot of the hearts to a lot of celebrities to step up and do what I'm doing, which is sponsoring an Olympic team," he said.
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The journey to Paris was 'personal' for Flav
Despite online speculation, Flav said he went into his own pocket to fund his trip to Paris, which he described as "amazing," "exciting," and "personal."
"I always wanted to feel what it's like to be at the Olympics because the only time I've watched the Olympics was on television," he explained. "For the first time ever in my life, I was able to go there and see it and be around it in real time."
He looks forward to what's to come for the women's water polo team as the Olympics heads to Los Angeles in 2028.
"I feel good for them because I know that they're going to come back, and they're going to kick ass. These girls don't really lose games. They don't. These girls are badass, man. These girls rock. These girls win."
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gmail.com.
