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U.S.-Born Skater Zhu Yi Says Online Abuse Affected Performance

  • Zhu target of online vitriol after falls during competition
  • Foreign-born athletes more vulnerable to nationalist criticism
Zhu Yi falls during the Women Single Skating Free Skating Team Event  on Feb. 7.

Zhu Yi falls during the Women Single Skating Free Skating Team Event  on Feb. 7.

Photographer: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images 

By
Bloomberg News
Updated on

China’s U.S.-born figure skater Zhu Yi said that online abuse heaped upon her after she fell during her Olympics debut affected her performance, a rare acknowledgement of the negative impact of nationalistic fervor on athletes.

Zhu told the official Xinhua News Agency Monday that she felt pressure after reading disparaging comments on Chinese social media. “I wanted to prove myself, because I didn’t do so well yesterday, and what everyone said on the internet really affected me,” she said. “I have trained very hard. The problem now is psychological. I will try not to be affected by the outside world.”