On Monday Fu Yuanhui, a 20-year old swimmer from Hangzhou won the bronze medal in the 100 meter backstroke race. During the medal ceremony, she could not hide her excitement.
It’s noteworthy because Chinese Olympians have been known to cry and apologize for earning silver medals (instead of gold).
But Ms. Fu’s claim to fame out of Rio is not so much her medal as her exuberant reaction to her speed during a qualifying race. When she exits the pool, she doesn’t have any idea of how fast she swam until the reporter tells her. (email readers click here to see the video)
Within hours, the Chinese Internet was melting:
Since then, Fu, from the southeastern city of Hangzhou, has gained more than three million fans on Chinese social networking site Weibo in two days. Her catchphrase “mystic energy,” or “prehistoric power,” has become a meme, and her super-excited expressions have been turned into emoticons.
You can read more about Ms. Fu here, here, and here.
You go, girl!
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Image credit: What’s on Weibo
Thanks Joann, that’s fantastic … A few if us just had a good laugh at her video … I’m in Rio (with Marty and Jenny), and we had missed this – hard enough seeing all the swimming finals for us Aussies when usually they clash with Brazil playing soccer! Your post is a refreshing counterbalance to the earlier diplomatic spat between my country and China over Sun Yang and his past.
How Fun! 😀