Tears and online criticism as China’s US-born skater Zhu Yi falters in another Olympic routine

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for free here: China’s US-born figure skater Zhu Yi burst into tears on the ice during her latest Winter Olympics routine on February 8, 2022. The 19-year-old faced intensified criticism online as she finished last in the Beijing 2022 women’s short programme team event. Zhu’s fortunes stood in sharp contrast to that of Eileen Gu, another athlete born in the United States who has chosen to represent China at Games. Gu trended heavily on Weibo on February 7 after participating in the big air qualifier. Her reaction to losing her skis during a fall in her second jump was described as “cute”, as she later qualified for the final after nailing her third jump. Related story: ‘Shame on Zhu Yi’: Chinese fans turn on US-born figure skater after fall