Local public opinion is sharply divided over Lin Xiaojun (30·Korean name Im Hyo-jun), who wore the Chinese national team uniform and made his first Olympic appearance. As poor results have continued, fandom defense and harsh criticism are pouring in simultaneously.
Chinese media Tencent and Sina Sports reported on the 14th (Korea time) that reactions in China are becoming polarized over Lin Xiaojun, who fell short of expectations at the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Lin Xiaojun recorded 1 minute, 25.782 seconds in the men's 1,000 meters pre-quarterfinals held on the 13th, finishing last in his heat and being eliminated. He was unable to close the gap with the leaders throughout the race, and there were no notable overtaking attempts.
Earlier, he competed only in the mixed 2,000 meter relay pre-quarterfinals and was not selected by the coaching staff for later events. A contrasting result came when South Korea's Rim Jong-un, who competed in the same heat, went on to win a bronze medal.
Some supporters are still consuming Lin Xiaojun like an "idol," emphasizing his appearance and character, the reports said. The media pointed out that the trend focuses more on emotional value than performance. On the other hand, professional sports communities continued with strong criticism such as "it looks like he gave up the race" and "his name value exceeds his skill." Some went so far as to define naturalization itself as a failure and use personal attack expressions.
Corporations' "emotional marketing" is also a focal point of controversy. Some brands are promoting messages like "the courage to start again" using Lin Xiaojun. Tencent analyzed that both supporters and critics are trapped in biased views and that there is a lack of coolheaded evaluation of actual performance. The media described him as "a single athlete placed in public opinion, neither a deified hero nor a competitor with only a famous name."
This tournament is Lin Xiaojun's first Olympic appearance after naturalizing to China. Expectations were high because of his record of winning the men's 1,500 meters gold and the 500 meters bronze at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. Immediately after his 1,000 meter elimination, he asked for support through his personal social media, saying, "The competition isn't over yet. I will focus on the races."
Lin Xiaojun will compete in his main event, the men's 1,500 meters, in the early hours of the 15th, and he also has the 500 meters and the 5,000 meter relay remaining. Evaluations are expected to change significantly depending on the results of the remaining races.
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