The woman from east China’s Hangzhou city told a reporter from CCTV: ‘I thought it was 59 seconds.
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Fu had thought she didn’t win anything, saying: “Even though I did not win a medal.” but is interrupted by the interviewer who informs her she got the bronze.
And she used a comic phrase – “I used all my prehistoric energy” – to insist that she had been giving her all in the semis.
“Well, then, I think that’s not bad at all!” “This is my best score ever!”
A Chinese swimmer has become an internet celebrity after a hilarious interview at the Rio Olympics.
The outpouring of surprise, honesty and geekiness that followed turned Fu into a star of social media.
“I have completely fallen in love with you”, said one commenter on Weibo.
China’s netizens were up in arms earlier in the week when Australia’s Mack Horton labelled Chinese swimmer Sun Yang a “drug cheat.”
The presenter then says: “Did you hold back at all today?”
Fu Yuanhui’s antics have quickly eclipsed that controversy in the Sino cyberspace.
“Everyone already dislikes the false, empty and characterless “thank the motherland” responses and don’t want to put our athletes under more pressure”.
After she emerged from the pool following the 100 metres backstroke final on the third day of the Games, Fu was asked how she was feeling by the state-run China Central Television network.
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Weibo was flooded with emojicons made of Fu, with some people posting pictures of themselves doing an impersonation of the swimmer. “I have always thought that people normally would not like my type”, she said”.
