This "fan culture", they said, reached a peak on 3 August when paddler Chen Meng defeated teammate Sun Yingsha to win gold in the table tennis women's singles. The Chinese internet exploded with support for Ms Sun despite her loss, with some denouncing Ms Chen's victory, saying she won only because Ms Sun was exhausted from three earlier events.
Chinese social media platforms have collectively removed tens of thousands of posts and banned over 800 accounts for allegedly "spreading negativity and fomenting conflict" about the event. One of Ms Sun's fans wrote that she "wishes Chen tests positive for a banned substance, then the gold medal can go to [Sun]," sparking anger online.
