Olympic Athlete Labeled By Fans As ‘Lacking In Sportsmanship’ Due to Her Makeup & Tattoos
We all have different ways of boosting our confidence, though many of them do boil down to doing something to our appearance. Maybe we do our hair a certain way, wear a certain style of clothing, or put on some makeup before we leave the house. No matter what it is, so long as it leaves you feeling good, it's worth it!
However, some look to the confidence others have and either feel it's misplaced, or think there's something inappropriate about it, believing that some times and some places aren't suitable for aesthetic endeavors.
Working for what we desire most, be it beauty or skill or otherwise, takes a lot of effort and time. What if there was an easier way to bring about what you wanted without it being so exhausting?
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Misplacing Blame
An athlete's skill, while often admired, is also always under scrutiny. Even if we forgo the competitive nature of nearly all sports, there are fans watching, people who want to see their favorite athlete or the country they're representing do well.
When an athlete fails to perform at their best, it's not uncommon for spectators to try to find something to blame. This is an experience that Olympic athlete Wu Yanni knows all too well.
Beauty And Speed
Wu was already well-known for being very beautiful, even showing up to her races with a face full of makeup, which is rare for athletes of any stripe, let alone runners. She's been deemed the 'goddess of track and field' for her looks and is very proud of her appearance. She also does her hair in often fancily-styled braids, complete with cute clips or dyes to complete her look.
However, many fans believe that she's placing too much of an emphasis on her looks—so much so that it's taking away from her focus on running.
Less Than Expected
This backlash came after a competition held in April 2024, the women's 100m hurdles at the Diamond League in Xiamen. Yanni finished in 13.04 seconds, below not only her own expectations, but those of track and field followers everywhere as well. She was decked out in glitter and stars during her run (a usual staple for her) but this time it drew more ire than admiration from her fans.
As one social media comment read, "People come to see a race, not how pretty you look. They appreciate the process and the results."
She Still Tries
She was also called, "performative," "flamboyant," and "lacking in sportsmanship" by other commenters, all believing that the effort she puts into her appearance actively undermines her athleticism.
However, Yanni has never let these types of critiques affect her. She has a lot of confidence in what she claims to be doing, which is challenging the conventional stereotypes that athletes need to be "barefaced." She believes strongly in everyone's right to feel beautiful any time they want.
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An Audience At Odds
"No matter the outcome, I always prepare myself to look my best for each race. I do this out of respect for the audience, my fans, all participants, and the sport itself. It boosts my confidence and motivates me," Yanni said in response to the blowback.
Some fans didn't take this too kindly either, with one writing, "Are the audience scapegoats? You can enjoy makeup because you like looking pretty, which is your right. But do not say it's out of respect for the audience. They care about your performance, not your appearance."
Redemption Race
All that said, she was competing in the National Athletics Championships in June of 2024, in Shandong province, eastern China. There, she not only won her race, but did so with an impressive time of 12.74 seconds, the best performance to come from Asia that season.
The focus remained on her looks, though, as during a post-race interview, she rubbed her eye and felt her false eyelash come off, so she spent the rest of her time with the press covering her eye with her hand.
Striving For Beauty
The discussion surrounding her looks has never been solely about her makeup, either. She also has a tattoo on her arm, something that's extremely uncommon for Chinese athletes, and faced some controversy in 2023 when she admitted to having plastic surgery.
But, again, she's never let public opinion get to her, saying, "Girls love to look beautiful and I want to make myself beautiful too. I cannot let some comments on the internet stop me from pursuing beauty."
Working Hard At Her Craft
Due to her focus on appearance, many have accused her of doing all this just to get popular on social media, which she also refuted. "I've been in this sport for 11 years, working hard every day. Am I doing this to be an internet celebrity? No. Do doctors, lawyers and forensic scientists work years in their fields to become celebrities? Of course not."
Wu is an undoubtedly formidable athlete, just one that people are often shocked to see. Strength and beauty can seem so opposed in our minds, but why can't they go hand in hand? What's stopping us from seeing them as equals?
As for her mishaps, Wu doesn't let them, or anything else stop her. "Life is full of failures and challenges. What's there to fear? Just move on."
