Who Is Zhu Yi? US-Born Skater Draws Massive Trolling After Olympic Fall

Who is Zhu Yi: A California-born skater, 19-year-old Zhu Yi who appeared for China at the ongoing Winter Olympics was at the receiving end of massive backlash and trolling after taking a fall in the rink. In the figure skating event Sunday, Yi stumbled over and crashed into a wall, finishing last in the competition.

On Chinese social media, she was met with outrage, as per reports. The hashtag 'Zhu Yi has fallen' was a popular trend on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, but was later allegedly censored.

Yi is the daughter of Chinese immigrant parents in the United States. Reports suggest she gave up her American citizenship some years ago so she could represent China and for this, also changed her name from Beverly. Many on Chinese social media took offence at Yi representing the country at the games in Beijing, instead of a Chinese citizen.

People reacting to Yi's performance reacted with words like "disgrace," "ridiculous," "amateur," SCMP reports. Some users criticised her for her inability to speak fluent Chinese.

Suggested Reading: How Can Cinema Change the ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ Attitude?

After her show, Yi spoke to the media about the pressure she was under, having been chosen as the Chinese participant for the ladies' single event. "I’m upset and a little embarrassed... I just really wanted to show them what I was able to do but unfortunately I didn’t," she said.

Apart from taking a shot at her abilities, some Weibo users also reportedly questioned her family's privileged status, suggesting she used her father's connections to get a place at the Olympics. As per reports, Yi's father is a noted artificial intelligence scientist and became associated with the Peking University in Beijing in 2020.

Suggested Reading: Separate Classes For Students In Hijab: When Communalism Puts Education At Stake

Zhu Yi: What You Should Know

Zhu Yi began skating at a young age around 2010. She made her nationals debut in 2018 at the US Figure Skating Championships. Following this recognition, she chose to begin representing China at various sporting events. In 2019, she came fourth at a figure skating championship in China and also won a bronze at the Sofia Trophy in Bulgaria. She has also participated at the Grand Prix and represented China in Croatia and Estonia.

Image: Reuters