{"id":195920,"date":"2016-08-12T22:52:46","date_gmt":"2016-08-13T05:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=195920"},"modified":"2021-09-14T20:25:13","modified_gmt":"2021-09-15T03:25:13","slug":"swimmer-fu-yuanhui-wins-publics-heart-viral-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2016\/08\/swimmer-fu-yuanhui-wins-publics-heart-viral-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Star Swimmer Suggests Shift in China’s Olympic Attitudes"},"content":{"rendered":"
Dubbed the “mystic energy girl” by online fans, 20-year-old Olympic swimmer and bronze medallist\u00a0Fu Yuanhui has become an internet sensation in China and beyond after her\u00a0hilariously animated post-swim interviews with state media CCTV went viral<\/strong><\/a>. Zheping Huang at Quartz reports:<\/p>\n China\u2019s internet can\u2019t get enough of the 20-year-old\u2019s exaggerated facial expressions and humor. After qualifying for the final of the women\u2019s 100-m backstroke at the Rio Olympics on Aug. 7, Fu gave an interview that\u2019s since gone viral.<\/p>\n \u201cI was so fast! I\u2019m really pleased!\u201d she said in a state of shock after clocking in at 58.95 seconds, a new personal record. \u201cI didn\u2019t hold back\u2026 I\u2019ve already used all of my mystic energy.”<\/p>\n Fu went on to win a bronze medal in the race on Monday (Aug. 8).<\/p>\n Since then, Fu, from the southeastern city of Hangzhou, has gained more than three million fans on Chinese social networking site Weibo in two days. Her catchphrase \u201cmystic energy,\u201d or \u201cprehistoric power,\u201d has become a meme, and her super-excited expressions have been turned into emoticons. In an interview Monday, her reaction won over Chinese netizens\u2019 hearts again.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it\u2019s because my arms are too short,\u201d she sighed as she mistakenly thought she didn\u2019t win a medal. She couldn\u2019t clearly see the rankings on the screen because she is nearsighted, she later explained. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Shanghai Expat gathered and subtitled some of Fu’s finest moments:<\/p>\n\n