Winter Olympics: Eileen Gu jumps to defence of ‘really amazing’ figure skater Zhu Yi after winning big air gold
- Freestyle skier says falling is a part of sport and just reaching the Olympics should be celebrated
- Zhu has come under fire for falling during her routines in the short programme team event
Zhu, who like her gold-medal winning teammate is Chinese-American, fell several times in the space of two days while performing in the short programme mixed team event.
The figure skater left the ice in tears both times and has since been subjected to bullying over her performances, with some suggesting family influence had played a part in her selection for the Games.
Gu, who said she had seen Zhu at training a few days ago, praised the figure skater’s “good character”, adding she was very impressed with her performance on the ice.
“Of course, everyone hopes she can get better results, but she is the one who most wants to get the best results, so I hope everyone can better understand her condition,” she said.
Gu called for better behaviour and more understanding of the fact that athletes cannot always perform their best.
“The most important thing is that she is safe and that she enjoys the process,” Gu said.