Chinese Swimming Star in Sizzling Water Over Actuality Show Conduct

Chinese Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang has develop into embroiled in controversy after showing on the truth present “Viva La Romance,” with viewers criticizing what they name his self-centered conduct and chauvinism.

The eighth season of “Viva La Romance,” or “The Romantic Travels of Wives” in Chinese, premiered on home streaming platform Mango TV on April 9 and follows superstar {couples} on their travels. Besides Sun Yang and his spouse Zhang Doudou — a former rhythmic gymnast and the present Chinese National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team coach — the solid consists of well-known actors and singers.

Sun has trended on-line for the reason that season’s airing, however a latest interview with distinguished Chinese journalist Yi Lijing on May 18 has given the present much more on-line traction. As of Thursday, matters associated to Sun continued trending on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, with a number of hashtags getting into hot-search rankings and producing tens of thousands and thousands of views. Commentary movies and clips about him on video streaming platform Bilibili have additionally surpassed 1 million views.

China’s most embellished swimmer, Sun made historical past by profitable China’s first Olympic gold medal in males’s swimming, on the 2012 London Olympic Games, and by turning into the primary athlete to win gold medals in all 200-meter to 1,500-meter freestyle occasions throughout the Olympics, World Championships, and Asian Games throughout his profession. However, his profession was later overshadowed by controversy when the Court of Arbitration for Sport imposed a four-year suspension on Sun, starting in 2020, for a dispute that occurred throughout an out-of-competition anti-doping pattern assortment. He has since returned to competitors.

One of probably the most mentioned moments within the present happens when Zhang questions Sun’s insistence on wrapping their baggage in plastic earlier than their flight. Zhang, who didn’t need to delay different solid members, says, “I don’t think it’s necessary,” to which Sun replies, “Can you stop disagreeing with everything I say? With every sentence I say, you find a hundred reasons to argue. It makes me look bad.” In a later interview, Sun mentioned that he felt “speechless” as a result of “(Zhang) was questioning my decision.”

During a separate tour to Saint Petersburg State University, Sun, designated by the manufacturing workforce as group chief, leads the group off beam, turning a 10-minute stroll to a tram station into a virtually hour-long trek. Despite interventions from the manufacturing employees and fellow solid members, Sun maintains that his route was appropriate, finally insisting on taking a taxi to the station with Zhang slightly than taking the subway to the college with the remainder of the solid. 

Most on-line viewers criticized Sun, with some jokingly likening his conduct to that of a toddler’s, notably his unwavering attachment to routines and order. Audiences level out that Sun’s “never give up” mentality apparently creates friction in his social life.

The dialogue later broadened to Sun’s shut relationship together with his mom, who famously performed a significant position all through his athletic profession, main some to label him a “mama’s boy.”

However, netizens famous that Sun additionally confirmed duty and self-discipline, planning itineraries late into the night time, making an attempt to coordinate transportation regardless of restricted English proficiency, and serving to the group carry heavy baggage.

Others argued the criticism of Sun ignored the distinctive realities of elite athletes, lots of whom spend most of their youth inside tightly structured coaching techniques and have few alternatives for social integration.

In his interview with Yi, Sun responded to the criticism by saying: “Have you ever seen a so-called ‘mama’s boy’ become a man this successful in his career?”

On May 1, Sun’s PR workforce launched a press release saying he had lately been subjected to large-scale on-line abuse and defamation, including that fabricated rumors had been reported to police.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header picture: Sun Yang (middle) arrives on the China Fashion Week Opening Show in Beijing, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. Andy Wong/VCG)