Chinese gymnast Su Weide issued a further apology following criticism for his blunders during the Paris Olympics.
Su, a 24-year-old Games debutant, was ranked fifth in the men’s horizontal bar final on Monday when he went to his hands and knees after landing.
It was is his second critical error at the Games. The previous Monday, he lost his grip twice and came crashing down on the mat during his bar routine in the men’s gymnastics final, effectively handing the gold medal to Japan.
“Taking part in Paris is certainly a heaven-sent opportunity to me,” Su said post event with tears in his eyes. “I failed to grasp it.
“Then it was not an opportunity for me. Instead, it ended up affecting my teammates and the people around me. That said, I am still very far behind.”
In another interview with mainland media on Monday night, Su again apologised for his blunders made during the team’s match, stating that he accepted all criticism and took it as part of his growth.
“Everyone was upset after the men’s team final,” he added. “I feel especially guilty.
“The team brought me in as an emergency replacement, but I ended up causing the team to lose the gold medal. I feel very sorry towards the Chinese gymnastics team, the supporters of the Chinese team, and the Chinese netizens.”
Su bagged 13.433 points in men’s singles horizontal bar on Monday night, after he succumbed to an underrotated dismount, landing on the mat with his hands and legs.
During the men’s team final last Monday, veteran Liu Yang scored 15.500 on still rings and 26-year-old Zou Jingyuan secured 16.000 on parallel bars, which brought China in the lead at the midway point.
The three-point gap between China and Japan at the final round crashed at the horizontal bar when Xiao Ruoteng, a Chinese veteran, landed his dismount to his knees, stumbling forward before regaining his balance.
Su, who went next, fell twice. First, he peeled off the horizontal bar, leading Zou to jump up from his chair, holding his head in his hands. Shortly after regrasping the bar, Su immediately tumbled again.
The hashtag “Su Weide’s apology again” became the top-trending topic on Chinese social media platform Douyin on Tuesday morning. But unlike last week, many netizens expressed empathy.
One said: “No matter what the results were, you had made your contribution to the country. Don’t give up and maintain a calm and balanced mindset. You will be better!”
Another commented that progress could be made by accepting criticism.
But there were still voices questioning Su’s qualifications for the Games with some querying Su’s selection.
“The price for your growth is just too big,” one wrote.
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