Cheesy pictures: Italian gymnast’s exhaustive Parmesan photoshoot takes Olympics by storm

Giorgia Villa won silver with her teammates in the women’s team final this week. But her passion for all things Parmesan has also gained attention

Three years ago Italian gymnast Giorgia Villa was cruelly denied her first shot at Olympic glory when she injured her ankle less than two weeks before getting on the plane for Tokyo. On Tuesday, the 21-year-old from Brescia helped Italy to their first medal in artistic gymnastics since 1928, teaming with Angela Andreoli, Alice D’Amato, Manila Esposito and Elisa Iorio to win a historic silver behind the United States.

The charming Italian quintet have become overnight celebrities back home, where they have been dubbed le fate d’argento (the silver fairies). But Villa’s profile has managed to transcend sport in the days since her landmark medal thanks to a viral tweet which unearthed her endorsement deal with parmesan cheese.