‘Traitors in the gymnastics team’: Chinese fans hit out at squad selection for Asian Games
One of the gymnasts, Zou Jingyuan, faced personal attacks from netizens who called him ‘washed up’, an ‘old uncle’ and urged him to retire
Chinese gymnasts were the latest athletes in the firing line of disgruntled fan groups after the Gymnastics Administrative Centre announced the team for next month’s Asian Games.
What started as a routine announcement of the gymnastics team for the coming Games in Japan spiralled into an online campaign of harassment and conspiracy theories, forcing sports officials to threaten legal action against fans.
The episode underscores China’s ongoing struggle to manage an increasingly aggressive, internet-savvy sports fandom that frequently challenges official authority.
The controversy erupted on Friday, when the Centre published its selection list, which fans immediately attacked over transparency and choice of gymnasts.
The main area of discontent centred on the men’s artistic team, with online critics accusing officials of applying internal trial rules inconsistently to favour certain athletes, while failing to honour a stated commitment to focus on developing younger talent.
Fans pointed to official selection guidelines and a previous interview with deputy team leader Lu Bin, who stated that “the overall principle for the men’s team at the Asian Games is primarily to train young newcomers”.