- Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin has gone viral for her honest reaction
- Sees what her fellow gymnasts on the podium were doing and decides to copy
- She won silver in the women’s balance beam at the Olympic Games in Paris
Getting onto the podium at an Olympic event is a momentous moment for any athlete – but what do you do when you get there? One Chinese gymnast has melted the internet after a clip of her reaction went viral.
Zhou Yaqin won a silver medal in the women’s balance beam event at the recent Olympic Games in Paris, finishing behind Italian Alice D’Amato and ahead of another Italian, Manila Esposito.
Follow the leader
Standing after the anthems and posing for photos with D’Amato and Esposito, Zhou smiled, but then when she saw what her fellow gymnasts were doing – biting their medals so show they are real, as is quite common for photographs in the Western word – she shyly joined in.
She then also joined the others two gymnasts in a selfie, before heading off the podium and back to their training area.
The clip of Zhou’s innocent and cute reaction has gone viral, with many commenters won over by her. One poster said: “She was so cute! She looked over and went “oh” and put her medal in her mouth”
Another said: “I hope she knows the world adores her.”
Enjoying the Games
Zhou, aged 18, certainly enjoyed her first taste of the Olympic Games. The 18-year-old was part of the Chinese team that finished sixth in the team final, as well as winning her medal on the balance beam. She has previously won World Championship silver on the balance beam last year in Antwerp.
Given her age, there is every chance she could be at the next Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles.
