Chinese athlete Wu Yanni, who won silver in the 100m women’s hurdles in World University Games, has hit back at critics of her “bad girl” tattoo, saying the body art is a symbol of her self-confidence.
Wu, 26, has been dubbed China’s goddess of track and field because of her good looks and outgoing personality.
The athlete set a new personal best of 12.76 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, the capital city of southwestern China’s Sichuan province, on August 4.
The result also ensures Wu’s qualification for the Paris Olympics, which has a 12.77-second entry requirement.
However, rather than her landmark sporting achievement, some people have focused on her right arm.
During her hurdling heroics, Wu hid her tattoo – a crown surrounded by blooming flowers to signify victory – with a covering of red tape.
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Some criticised her with comments such as “only bad girls have tattoos” or “her tattoo has bad influence on children” and “even gang members don’t have tattoos now”.
China bans people aged under 18 from being inked and has outlawed the showing of tattoos on TV, in live-streams, or in videos on social media.
However, China’s General Administration of Sport has only officially banned footballers from the practice. The country’s legendary tennis player, Li Na, and badminton player, Lin Dan, both sport tattoos.
Wu openly talked about the issue in an interview with state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) two years ago, saying: “I am confident in myself. I don’t have that tattoo for nothing.”
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Wu broke her personal best twice during this year’s World University Games, which was postponed twice from 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She first surpassed her personal best of 12.86 seconds in the semifinals by 0.01 second, then broke it again in the final.
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Besides her tattoo, Wu’s sophisticated makeup has also become a target of judgemental critics.
The athlete responded in an August 5 interview with the media outlet Southern People Weekly, saying she wore makeup out of “respect for each event and to show the best of herself on the most important occasions.”
“Why do athletes have to prove how hardworking they are with a suntanned face? Times are different now. A confident athlete moves the audience more than a successful result,” added Wu.
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On mainland social media, people showed their support for Wu’s body art.
“Since when did tattoos become a criterion to decide the nature of a person?” asked one online observer.
“Just look at her performance and stop staring at her arm,” said another.
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“I even support her removing the tape to completely show herself as she is. It is not for you old fogeys to judge such a beautiful woman,” commented a supporter.
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