Stick it to them!
University of Illinois sophomore gymnast Evan Manivong tied his career-high score on the vault last month in a meet against Minnesota, receiving a 14.750.
After sticking the landing, he pulled a card out from his uniform and flashed it to the audience as his teammates cheered him on.
When the Illinois M Gym account tweeted a video of his performance questioning what the card was, Manivong replied, “It’s my vaccination card… go get vaccinated everyone!”
While the original tweet was posted in March, the Athletic’s Olivia Witherite retweeted the video Monday, calling Manivong’s cheeky ending “the ultimate flex” in her now-viral tweet.
ESPN reporter Michele Steele appreciated the move and tagged @SportsCenter in her comment, “Ya did good Evan!!!”
Many thanked Manivong for doing his part to encourage others to get the vaccine, including scientist @luckytran, who tweeted, “You are a champ. Thank you for this awesome vaccine selfie!”
While the shot of Manivong waving his vaccine card to the crowd might have been a victorious moment for both him and modern medicine, some cybersecurity experts are warning against posting selfies with your vaccine card. The cards contain personal information that online scammers can use to steal your identity, experts warn.
And posting photos of your vaccination card could also allow online scammers to create fake cards that could pose a risk to public safety.
But if you feel the need to show off, experts suggest that you cover or edit out your personal information. You can also post a photo of your bandage or make your immunity known in your caption.
