Most athletes raise their fist in triumph after a victory. When Noah Lyles, an American sprinter, won gold in the 100 meters at the Olympics in August, he held his hands out in front of him, wrists together and fingers extended, as if he were about to catch a big ball .

The gesture may have seemed strange, but fans of Japanese animation immediately understood that Mr. Lyles, a self-confessed fan of the genre, was referring to a popular franchise, Dragon Ball.

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