Winter Olympics: Gold and silver medallist Xu Mengtao and Wang Xindi emerge as China’s new athlete power couple
- Xu, considered one of the greatest aerial skiers of all time, posts several photos on social media with Wang
- ‘I don’t have a Gold Dwen Dwen, but I have a Peach Dwen Dwen’, writes Wang, playing on senior Xu’s nickname
Chinese Olympic freestyle skiing stars Xu Mengtao and Wang Xindi announced their relationship via social media last week.
Legendary aerial skier Xu, who in Zhangjiakou this month became the first Chinese woman to win an Olympic gold medal in her discipline, has been posting a series of couple photos on Instagram with Wang with the Chinese caption “us” alongside a heart emoji.
The 31-year-old posted nine more on Weibo of the pair after various events at the Chang Cheng Ling Ski Resort with the caption “[It] goes both ways. We develop together and strive to make each other better people.”
But it was Wang who first revealed the relationship to the public in a not-so-cryptic message.
“I don’t have a ‘Gold Dwen Dwen’,” he wrote with a photo of the pair in national uniform on Weibo, referring to the popular Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen.
“But I have a ‘Peach Dwen Dwen’.”
Xu’s nickname is Taozi, which means peach in Chinese.
Xu then shared the post with the message “Peach Dwen Dwen is here”.
Though they have since been deemed a “hot search topic” and “China’s next athlete power couple”, some fans were not surprised.
Xu, who in December surpassed Australia’s Jacqui Cooper in the all-time aerials list after claiming her remarkable 27th World Cup title, had posted photos of Wang six weeks earlier.
The Anshan native congratulated Wang for his World Cup season win in the US, thanking him for “protecting and supporting the team”.
“We’ve witnessed Xindi’s growth along the way, and I believe your efforts will make you stronger,” she said. “Aerial ski friends from all around the world – you are the best. See you in Beijing next month. Look forward to the future together.”
After her outing in Beijing, Xu became the first aerials skier to win two medals at a single Winter Olympics. She was one of two closing ceremony flag-bearers, and has also got a Sochi 2014 Games aerial silver medal in the cabinet.
