Wang Liping, an ethnic Manchu, representing China, became an Olympic champion by winning the 20-kilometer event.
This race was full of twists and turns.
The second Wang Liping first showed up in the stadium first, over 110,000 people sat there in the stadium in shock, as she took her first place and won her gold medal.
No one could imagine that such a moment deserving of a celebration would soon become so awkward, yet sad.
After Wang Liping got first place, she excitedly cheered at the audience with her arms in the air, but the entire stadium was dead silent. The audience is all filled with disbelief as if they do not know what just happened. Who is this Asian woman? How on earth is she first? Where is our Australian Olympian? Only a translator near the edge of the field gave this woman a hug.
The entire stadium only had this one Chinese person, and there wasn't even a Chinese flag found. She looked around anxiously from left to right, but still couldn't find a single Chinese flag and could only hold back her tears.
Instead of proudly wearing her country's flag cape around the stadium and receiving applause for all her hard work.
She awkwardly walked around the stadium with empty hands
For years she said she couldn't get herself to watch the video of her winning the Olympics because every time she sees it, makes her want to cry. She dedicated all her life, and even put her health on the line for this result. It became one of her biggest sorrow and regret.
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You make it read like an anti-Chinese situation. It wasn't. A little bit of context helps. Australians were disappointed because the Australian athlete, Jane Saville, who had been leading had just been disqualified at the stadium gates in the walk. That's what the emotion was about. 1. Video shows people were applauding. On the Chinese propaganda channels this is blurred out. 2. 'No-one prepared a national flag for her'. That's not an official thing. That only happens when someone in the crowd has one and the athlete grabs it. I think you've been reading Chinese nationalistic propaganda. I have Chinese relatives, I'm not anti-Chinese. But the Chinese government are a different story.
@Abstraction That is a bit of a stretch to claim sharing the experience of the athlete makes someone a propagandist. But then again that is a popular smear here.
@Abstraction You interpreted it as an anti-Chinese situation. You are allowed to have opinions, but you cannot twist my words and put labels on them. When have I ever used the words Anti-Chinese to describe this situation? When have I brought up the Chinese government even once in this post?
I don't see how your extra context helps with the main points I am trying to get across in this post, but I do appreciate the extra information and a different perspective on the look of things. However, I did in fact, include the Australian disappointment part.
"Who is this Asian woman? How on earth is she first? Where is our Australian Olympian?"
(although I admit, I did not word it out in a professional way as you did by including a name and such, and was more focused on the perspective of the person I'm talking about's emotions and perspective- because this is what this post is about, however, I am more than happy to add your sentence into my post if you'd like)
1) I watched the French version, not the Chinese. Yes, the applause eventually did come, but there was a moment of confusion and silence before people caught up with what was happening. Clapping out of respect vs. cheering, and celebrating one's success are two completely different things, and quite frankly, in a situation like that, it is very difficult for people to hide their disappointment even if they want to. (I don't blame them, but once again, imagine how she would have felt in that situation. And I think we can both agree that if the person coming out first was Jane Saville the reaction would be totally different, which again, is understandable. If the person who got first place was a Canadian I would definitely be more excited than a Chinese person (or any other nationality) getting first) but again, this post is focused on her feelings during one of the most important moments of her life.
2) Yes, it's not an official thing, but you can't deny that it is not commonly done. and plus, it's what she wanted. In other words, it is important to her. And in her own words, it is one of her biggest regret as a gold medal Olympian, that she didn't get to do it. I've explained in another comment (which I suggest you go read it) already how there was a flag, but then the coach literally left her there because no one believed that she could get first. (Apparently, when the coach heard that she got first place, immediately went back with the flag, but was not allowed back in) She even asked the one Chinese translator that gave her a hug if there was a flag, and was told no.
Imagine if I have a class, it's not official that I, as a teacher must hand out cupcakes, however, every time a student hands in their work first, I do hand them a cupcake. But when this time, a child tries absolutely her hardest and successfully hands her work in, I say to her, "oh, I wasn't expecting that you're able to achieve that so I did not bring you a cupcake". Like, it is an awkward and sad situation to be in. Especially since this is the Olympics, you have everyone around the world watching, and you literally have to walk around the stadium showing everyone that you are empty-handed. Not only that, people always label her winning the Olympics as "pure luck", and not just others, but her own country, and their people also say that about her. It is heartbreaking.
It is a bit upsetting that you are trying to bring politics and propaganda into this, and let me ask you if we switch China to America (or whatever other country), Wang Liping to Lily Williams, would you still have commented exactly what you had?
@Miyue Ok, I apologise. I do genuinely sympathise with her and feel her disappointment. I feel the same for Naomi Osaka when she won her first US Open against Serena. That wasn't what I was commenting on. I googled it and saw incorrect statements on the video but regret distracting from the point of your story.
