Australian swimming coach Dean Boxall’s wild celebration goes viral after Ariarne Titmus wins gold

There are ways to celebrate and then there is Dean Boxall’s way to celebrate.

From his position above the pool, penned in behind a railing, the swimming coach of newly-crowned Australian Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus set the internet alight on Monday with a frenzied celebration in Tokyo.

Boxall cavorted wildly after the 20-year-old Titmus dethroned US star Katie Ledecky in the final of the women’s 400m freestyle, handing the five-time gold medallist her first defeat in an individual event at the Olympics.

His extraordinary – if slightly questionable – celebration saw him striding through the spectator’s area, pumping the air, ripping his mask off and hip-thrusting against a transparent barrier.

The coach’s berserk gyrations became an immediate and international meme among the many viewers of the 32nd Olympiad.

In Australia, broadcaster Fox Sports declared Boxall an “instant icon”. Many viewers, including Australian tennis player Daria Gavrilova, wished that they could have that level of encouragement in their lives too.

The ABC journalist Emilie Gramenz suggested that Boxall’s energy should be harnessed and used to inspire the recently-awarded Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

Around the world, hundreds of viewers were awestruck by the power of Boxall’s jubilation.