US-born figure-skater Zhu Yi fell during the women’s figure skating event at the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Sunday. China’s censors appear to have removed hashtags used to criticize her for the fall on Chinese social media.
Zhu Yi, who was raised in the US as Beverly Zhu, fell twice during her Olympic debut. She came last and nearly caused the team to not qualify for the next round.
“I’m upset and a little embarrassed,” Zhu said after the event, wiping away tears.
“I felt a lot of pressure because I know everybody in China was pretty surprised with the selection for the women’s singles and I just really wanted to show them what I was able to do it, but unfortunately I didn’t.”
The hashtag #ZhuYiFellOver had more than 230 million views on Weibo soon after the event.
Some questioned her selection for the team, with others noting all athletes are under a lot of pressure.
Other social media users said that she could not speak fluent Chinese, while others said she was chosen over 18-year-old Chen Hongyi because her father is a respected AI scientist.
But the conversation about the 19-year-old figure-skater did not last long.
Searches for the hashtag are not returning results. The other hashtag used to blast Zhu, #ZhuYiMessedUp, is also not available. Additionally, Zhu’s name is not in the top 50 hashtags on Weibo, according to ABC News.
The post China scrubbed hashtags for figure-skater Zhu Yi after she falls during contest appeared first on Reclaim The Net.
Reclaim The Net is a free speech and online privacy organization that defends our individual liberty by pushing back against big tech and media gatekeepers. Much of their work focuses on exposing digital tyrants and promoting free speech and privacy-friendly alternative online services. Visit reclaimthenet.org