Backlash after Chinese athlete is described as ‘manly woman’ and asked about marriage

Lijiao maintained her composure throughout the interview even though the questions upset fans

Gold medalist Lijiao Gong of China is seen during the medal ceremony for the women's shot put during the athletics events of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, 1 August 2021 (EPA)

An interviewer from state-controlled broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) is facing backlash after Chinese athlete Gong Lijiao, who won a shot put gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, was described as a “manly woman” and asked about her marriage plans.

On Sunday, the 32-year-old athlete, who had won the gold medal in women’s shot put final, was being interviewed by the sports correspondent of CCTV, who, before asking her anything about her event, described her as a “masculine woman”, reported SupChina.

Gong Lijiao, who had previously won the Olympic medal twice in shot put, but not gold, secured it this time with her personal best of 20.58 metres.

The two-time world champion, however, politely replied: “I might look like a manly woman from outside, but I still feel like a little girl inside.” The reporter, however, was relentless and continued with the same line of questioning.

The questions steadily got more bizarre. She asked Lijiao what her next step was “as a girl.”

She asked: “You used to be a masculine woman for the sake of shot put. Going forward, can you finally be yourself?”

The gold medal winner, who was not comfortable with the question, maintained her composure and said: “It really depends on my future plan. If I eventually quit shot put, then I will probably lose some weight, get married, and have children. The path that everyone has to take in life.”

Even after that, the reporter continued with the strange line of questioning and asked the Olympic medallist about the kind of partner she was looking for and whether they would be intimidated by her in arm wrestling.

To this, Lijiao said: “I am not going to arm-wrestle my partner. I’m a gentle person.”

Though she calmly ended the interview, social media users in China and elsewhere, expressed their anger and displeasure, calling the interview disrespectful.

According to the SupChina report, a Weibo user said (in Chinese): “This is utterly ridiculous and unprofessional. Was there nothing sports-related she could have actually asked instead? I thought we had long moved past these petty sexist stereotypes.”

Another user commented (in Chinese) that the athlete “should have asked the reporter when she was planning to become a world champion.”

They are among hundreds of people in China who have expressed support for Gong Lijiao on social media.

Natasha Mulenga, an author based in the UK, tweeted: “Gong Lijiao wins a whole gold medal for her country and female journalists are asking her when she going to marry, called her a ‘manly woman’ and then had the nerve to be surprised that she has a boyfriend! Some of you women are just as annoying as men.”

Though Lijiao didn’t reply directly to the controversy she responded to a post that read “It’s not like Gong can’t find a husband. Most men just don’t deserve her. Discourse about women isn’t limited to marriage and physical appearances. There are also dreams and success.”

“This is exactly what I was thinking. Thank you for putting it into words for me!” wrote the athlete.