RIo 2016: No matter how famous you are – the selfie endures.

And it has started for Aussie athletes as they are driven to gawk at some of the world’s most familiar faces passing by, day by day, as fellow Village People.

Cyclists Amu Cure, Annette Edmondson and Steph Morton launched the Aussie larrikin spirit on their first day of village life by snapping a not-real-close encounter with Usain Bolt and posting on Twitter with the caption “OMG we got a selfie with @usainbolt!!”

If your name is Williams, you’re sure to be in demand too.

Our water polo girls had no hesitation in asking tennis’ greatest Serena Williams for a snap together.

The challenge though, and Aussies never mind a challenge, is to maybe pull of a reverse request … impress one of the village’s superstars enough to be asked to be in their social media collection.

Now that would be a moment of fame.

Bolt has three million Instagram followers (although his first Rio post of him arriving at the village with a military ‘escort’ and saying simply “happiness of pursuit” attracted a meagre 110,555 likes in a day).

Serena has 3.9 Instagram million followers, Novak Djokovic 2.6 million, American basketball ‘Dream Team’ legend Kevin Durant a mere 8.3 million.
But the greatest dare of all would be cracking a selfie requested by Brazilian football superman Neymarjr. He has just under 60 million signed up on ‘Insta’!

Any one up for the challenge?

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie – oi, oi, oi come here!

Neil Cadigan
olympics.com.au