Editorial | Olympics are no place for bullying or abuse

Teenage skier Eileen Gu cried tears of joy as she won gold for China in the Winter Olympics this week. Her victory sparked wild celebrations from fans, even causing social media site Weibo to temporarily crash. She deserves all the acclaim. But there have been tears of a different kind for another US-born teenage athlete representing China at the Beijing Games. Figure skater Zhu Yi, 19, wept after stumbling and colliding with a wall during the short programme team event on Sunday. She finished last. The skater then stumbled twice in the free skate event on Monday and finished bottom of the rankings again.

Zhu, in her first Olympics, has been subjected to a torrent of abuse on social media by armchair warriors who questioned her language ability and selection ahead of mainland-born skaters. They even mocked her tears.

Those responsible for this cruel and unfair bullying do not represent China’s interests. Thankfully, they are very much in the minority. Spectators at the Olympics cheered Zhu, while the majority commenting on social media supported her. She also received backing from a teammate. This is good to see.

The teenager was born in Los Angeles and started skating in the United States. She renounced her American citizenship in 2018 to represent China. Zhu has faced great pressure when competing, but she is a young talent with much potential. All she can do is her best. The skater has shown courage in adversity. The Olympics are not over for her yet and she deserves to be backed, not abused.

Weibo has removed 41,000 posts related to the Games, banned 850 accounts and called for fans to watch events “in a calm mood”.

The Olympics naturally spark excitement, with passionate fans rooting for their nation’s athletes. But the spirit of the Games calls for sporting conduct and appreciation of the efforts of athletes, regardless of whether they win or lose. There is no place for bullying or abuse.