Watching Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang's withdrawal from the 110-meter hurdles at the Beijing Olympics was painful, even for American viewers. The hurdler, who won gold in the event at the 2004 Athens Olympics, was China's first big track and field star, and it seemed the entire country was hoping he could repeat his gold-medal performance on his home turf.
Photos taken at the stadium showed sobbing fans, and the first reactions seemed to be deep sorrow and national pride disappointed. CN Reviews had a story about a CCTV journalist who broke down mid-broadcast and had to stop to compose herself, unheard of in a country where the media is strictly regulated, and reporters are controlled by the pre-approved text on the teleprompter.
After the reports of Chinese mourning, however, a few stories began to leak out painting a bleaker picture. The Daily Yomiuri reports that Chinese Internet forums lit up with negative posts, referring to Liu's withdrawal as a "cowardly act" and "1.3 billion people hurt -- a new world record."
I spoke with Chinese-American blogger Elliott Ng of CN Reviews about the two disparate reactions, and he alerted me to a rumor that may be even more sinister: that bloggers and media outlets have been ordered to spin the withdrawal. As blogs like Cup of Cha protest the negative reactions described by The Daily Yomiuri, the New York Times appears to confirm the rumor that the Chinese government had its propaganda machine out in force, forbidding criticism of Liu or investigation into his withdrawal.
What remains clear is that China is disappointed that their lone track star wasn't even able to compete, much less win a gold medal. Both the angry and sorrowful reactions are most likely real, but the online reaction may be shaped by a government determined to put forth an image of national pride in their heroes, without recriminations when they fail.
Photo of Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang by Eckhard Pecher from the World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka. Used under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
More news, commentary, and predictions from The Industry Standard:
Post new comment