Chinese hurdler Wu Yanni is another sportswoman often called out for her appearance. Like all Chinese athletes, she has to cover her tattoos when she competes. - Photo: Xinhua
BEIJING (SCMP): A recent backlash against female Chinese athletes posting “sexy” content on social media is a reflection of traditional values that argue women should be “pure” and a way of projecting the country’s soft power through sports, experts have suggested.
In recent weeks, former China national team athletes have hit back at critics, including other athletes, who said women posting “sexy” videos was a disgrace.
In November, former gymnast Wu Liufang went viral after a public row with teammate Guan Chenchen, who said her “thirst trap” videos were damaging gymnastics’s reputation.
Days later, swimmer Liu Xiang hit back at social media users who said her swimsuit pictures were deliberately provocative to attract attention.
Wu, 29, retired from gymnastics in 2014, two years after she suffered an injury that ruled her out of the London Olympics. - SCMP
Ivy Wong Wang, associate professor in the gender studies programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that in Chinese culture, “it is still quite [prevalent] that women and girls are supposed to be clean, pure and well-behaved, and not dress sexy.
“One reason for [the critics’] negative reactions is it might not be related to gender but more related to how people define what is [appropriate for an athlete versus what is not].
"Another reason is that athletes, especially female athletes, are aware that posting pictures in swimsuits or dancing may cause people to view them in a sexually objectified way, whether they agree with it.
“Studies have found that attractive women are usually viewed by others as less competent – so while they may be viewed as attractive, the ratings of competence are reduced.
“The field of elite sports: that’s certainly a high-status job, so it’s in conflict with being sexy.”
After trying different jobs, including a teacher and gymnastics coach, Wu said she became an internet celebrity because her family’s conditions meant she needed to support herself after she had dedicated her entire youth and early adulthood to representing China.
She now posts dancing videos that internet users have called “sexy and provocative” but stay within the limits of China’s strict censorship.
The two traded verbal blows online, and Wu’s page was temporarily suspended.
When Wu’s account ban was lifted, her followers on Douyin skyrocketed from 50,000 fans to more than 6.3 million.
Retired Chinese fencer Qin Xue.
At the same time as the incidents involving Wu and Liu, former World Cup bronze medal fencer Qin Xue has also come under the same scrutiny.
Now a lecturer at Chongqing University, Qin has more than 1.7 million followers online. Her posts have been called out for bordering on adult content because she wears revealing clothes.
Qin defended herself, saying she posts online to make money to support her children.
Current athletics star Wu Yanni has also been involved in similar incidents. She is often called out for her appearance, chiefly her choice of make-up. Like all Chinese athletes, she has to cover her tattoos when she competes.
Social media has been divided on these issues, with topics relating to all of them being viewed hundreds of millions of times.
Despite all the athletes boasting huge followings, critics, including journalists, argue that their actions undermine the integrity of their respective sports.
Chinese tennis star and 2024 Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen,
Dr Sonia Wong Yuk-ying, who teaches gender studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said this phenomenon was not new, but because it involved former athletes, it added an “interesting layer”.
“The Olympics [and] sports have been a very important part of China’s soft power. They have been very aggressive ... in demonstrating and upholding national prestige through participation in international tournaments.
“By extension, the bodies of the athletes are a representation of the national body [and] sports, especially international competitions, have been something that’s very, very special to China and to the hearts of Chinese people.”
Both Sonia Wong and Ivy Wong said another issue was the double standards that existed – male athletes were often lauded online for showing off their physiques.
Olympic world champion and world record holder Pan Zhanle previously called out a journalist who asked him about his abs, saying that his appearance was not the most important thing.
However, when Chinese male athletes post images of their bodies online, they rarely draw criticism.
“This perceived lack of autonomy, or lack of room for [female athletes] to express themselves, sexually or otherwise, is something that is not balanced between the two sexes,” she said.
“And there are really limited opportunities for women, especially former athletes in China, to move upwards, so being a wang hong (internet celebrity) is something that is more readily available.”
In the social-media age, more athletes have turned to social media post-retirement. Whether this would lead to an acceptance of how female athletes portrayed themselves online, both Dr Ivy Wong and Dr Sonia Wong were sceptical.
“The Chinese government has its strong values, and it could change. But, currently, the government seems to be more [in favour of] advocating and preserving traditional Chinese cultural values,” Dr Ivy Wong said. - South China Morning Post
