[Her
ecstatic expression captured a rare outlook in Chinese Olympic sports, where
the drive for gold has long dominated, and silver is for the first loser. But
Ms. Fu seems unlikely to join the ranks of Chinese athletes who are forgotten
for not reaching the top of the Olympic podium. Instead, her unbridled
happiness at achieving a personal best has resonated widely.]
By Austin Ramzy
 |
The Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui,
left, with the bronze medal she won
in the women’s 100-meter backstroke
event. Credit Christophe Simon/
Agence France-Presse — Getty
Images
|
The
Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui, left, with the bronze medal she won in the women’s 100-meter
backstroke event. Credit Christophe Simon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The
Chinese backstroke swimmer Fu Yuanhui has become an unexpected star of the Rio
Games. Her performances in the pool have been strong — she won a bronze medal
in the 100-meter backstroke on Monday. But they have thus far fallen short of
the gold standard that has long dominated China
Instead,
it is her exuberance out of the water that has endeared her to fans. Rather
than mere happiness at her performances, Ms. Fu, 20, exhibits something closer
to pure joy, bouncing around and making animated faces.
After
the semifinals for the 100-meter backstroke, where her third-place finish
qualified her for the finals, she gushed to a reporter, “I used my primordial
powers!” The image of her standing poolside with mouth agape has been
ubiquitous on the Chinese internet. Asked if she had any expectations for the
final, she said she was already satisfied.
Her
ecstatic expression captured a rare outlook in Chinese Olympic sports, where
the drive for gold has long dominated, and silver is for the first loser. But
Ms. Fu seems unlikely to join the ranks of Chinese athletes who are forgotten
for not reaching the top of the Olympic podium. Instead, her unbridled
happiness at achieving a personal best has resonated widely.
“To
exceed one’s self is even better than winning a gold medal,” a commentary in
The Beijing News said of Ms. Fu’s performance. Online, pictures of her
expressions have been juxtaposed against other Chinese athletes whose grim
faces betray the intense pressure of Olympic expectations.
“The
reason Fu Yuanhui has been so popular also explains how people today don’t just
watch that split second of winning a gold medal,” a commenter in the eastern
city of Hangzhou
After
the final for the 100-meter backstroke, Ms. Fu did not realize she had won
bronze until informed by a reporter. Rather than express disappointment, she
said, “That’s not bad!”
“Although
I wasn’t the champion, I surpassed myself,” she told Chinese state television. “I
think that’s really good.”
She
deadpanned that her “arms are too short” after learning that she had finished
just one-hundredth of a second off the silver-medal winning time.
Ms.
Fu will return to the Olympic spotlight on Saturday when she swims in the 4x100-meter
medley relay. She was part of the Chinese team that won the event last year at
the World Championships. Afterward she stood holding her medal with her
teammates, and as they smiled determinedly, she bopped around like a human
exclamation point.
Follow
Austin Ramzy on Twitter @austinramzy.