Eileen Gu says '90% of comments are positive and uplifting' on Chinese social media one day after ic
- US-born skier Eileen Gu says 90% of the comments she sees on Chinese social media are "positive and uplifting."
- The comment comes a day after Weibo users slammed ice skater Zhu Yi for falling twice in her Olympic debut.
- Chinese censors have reportedly deleted many negative posts related to Zhu amid the online vitriol.
US-born superstar skier Eileen Gu, who is competing for China at the Beijing Olympics, says most of the comments she has seen on Chinese social media have been "positive and uplifting."
Her comment comes after ice skater Zhu Yi, also a US-born athlete competing for Team China, faced a flood of online vitriol. Zhu was attacked online by Chinese social-media users after falling in two separate events at the Winter Olympics.
But in a comment posted below Insider's Instagram post about Zhu becoming the target of online hatred, Gu said she's seen predominantly positive reactions online.
"As someone who actually uses Chinese social platforms I'm going to say right here that over 90% of comments are positive and uplifting. It's part of the sport and everyone understands rhat [sic]," wrote Gu.
Gu did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Some social-media users on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, were quick to screenshot and share Gu's comment, applauding her for "telling the truth."
But many other internet users also chimed in to refute her statement.
An Instagram user with the handle @rainbowkiddocheung said: "I am disappointed at the inaccuracy of your description/observation. The vast majority of the comments on Weibo about Yi both nights are brutal, targeting herself and her family."
Another user with the handle @louise6808 wrote: "You gotta be kidding me, please just scroll over Weibo you could see that over 95% of comments are negative."
Chinese censors have been actively removing some of the most negative posts about Zhu after she stumbled in her events on Sunday and Monday, according to multiple media reports.
According to South China Morning Post, the Weibo hashtag "Zhu Yi has fallen" was censored after it gained more than 200 million views in just a few hours.
Meanwhile, US-funded nonprofit outlet Radio Free Asia said other Weibo hashtags, including "Zhu Yi messed up" and "Zhu Yi fell," which got more than 100 million views, have also been removed.
A quick search of these hashtags on the platform on Tuesday delivered no results. Some of the comments featured in Insider's previous article also appear to have been deleted.
The Chinese public's treatment of Gu stands in stark contrast to that facing Zhu. While Zhu has been harshly criticized, Gu has been celebrated on Chinese social media for choosing to compete for China.
The praise was even louder on Tuesday after Gu won the freestyle big air gold medal for China.
Weibo did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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