Two female athletes from Hunan, China are being criticized for “looking like men.”
The criticisms came after photos of them went viral in China. Now, they are getting international attention as well.
Photo from: Liao Mengxue, photo via 脊梁in上海/Weibo
Liao Mengxue and Tong Zhenhuan won gold and silver, respectively, at a national sports meet earlier this year. They are also part of a 4x400m women’s relay team.
The two performed impressively in the said event. They finished about 3 seconds faster than the next winner.
According to Chinese media outlets, although the two may look masculine, they are definitely female. Still, many people commented online that they have seen a video interview of the runners and one of them spoke in a low voice.
The video referred to can be viewed below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJeYmHogTGY
The video interview happened in Yokohoma, Japan. It was during the IAAF World Relay Championships in May 2019.
Liao can be seen answering most of the time during the interview. This probably leads to her getting more criticism.
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