Opinion | China’s anger over ‘ugly’ Olympics coverage misses the picture
- An image of weightlifter Hou Zhihui has led diplomats to accuse Western media of ‘unfairly targeting China’ during the Tokyo Games
- But this accusation is a turn-off during a major event that promotes fair play, global unity and good sportsmanship
But a picture of a Chinese weightlifter, who last week won a gold medal in the 49kg class, has angered Beijing for featuring her in an apparently unflattering light.
“Among all the photos of the game, Reuters has chosen this one, which only shows how ugly they are,” said the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka, lashing out at the global news agency. “Don’t put politics and ideologies above sports, and call yourself an unbiased news organisation. Shameless.”
The state-run Global Times tabloid added fuel to the fire by claiming that some Western media outlets were “unfairly targeting China” in their Olympics coverage.
For what it’s worth, the photo shows more than the physical abilities of a sportsperson. It reflects the grit and strength of a young woman who has trained for years in gruelling sessions and made countless sacrifices to reach the top of her field.
Hou, who hails from a village in central Hunan province, lifted an unprecedented 92kg for the snatch in her second attempt – then bettered it with 94kg in her final lift. In the clean and jerk category, Hou’s final lift of 116kg was also a new Games best, as was her overall total of 210kg.