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Renowned Olympic and world champion short track speed skater, Lin Xiaojun, expressed his profound dismay and frustration after becoming the target of online abuse in the wake of a collision with his Chinese teammate, Liu Shaoang, during a World Cup men's 500m final in Beijing over the weekend.
The incident unfolded as Lin and Liu were leading the race when a collision occurred, altering the course of events in the highly competitive event. Subsequently, Lin found himself subjected to online vitriol and abuse.
Taking to Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform similar to Twitter, the 27-year-old athlete, who secured gold in the 1500m at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics while representing South Korea, laid bare his feelings. "In the past few days, I have seen that some social media accounts frequently post very unfriendly or even malicious comments," wrote Lin, who was previously known as Lim Hyo-jun before switching allegiance to China.
He went on to express the profound impact of the online abuse, stating, "These comments not only hurt my teammates, coaches, and other staff, but also deeply hurt me, seriously affecting our training and life." Lin emphasized the toll that such negativity has taken on both his professional and personal spheres.
In a final plea, Lin asserted his disapproval of such behavior, saying, "These insults make me very angry and sad, and I strongly dislike such behavior," highlighting the need for sportsmanship and respect in the aftermath of on-track incidents.
Olympic Speed Skater Lin Xiaojun Condemns Online Abuse Following Collision with Teammate
