100m Track Is Not a Runway... Chinese National Team Female Athlete Causes Stir Over Makeup and Clothes

Chinese 100m Hurdles National Representative Wu Yanni
Controversy Over Heavy Makeup and Outfit at League Competition
Netizens Criticize Continuously... "Too Provocative"

Chinese national track and field athlete Wu Yanni, who gained popularity after competing in the athletics events at the Hangzhou Asian Games, recently showed a series of poor performances in competitions. As a result, Chinese netizens have criticized Wu Yanni, saying it is "because she is too focused on her appearance."

Uyenni participated in the women's 100m hurdles event at the 2024 Diamond League competition.
[Photo by Weibo]

On the 7th (local time), Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that on the 20th, at the 2024 Diamond League women's 100m hurdles event held in Xiamen on the southeast coast of China, Wu Yanni recorded a time of 13.04 seconds. Finishing 10th, Wu Yanni explained after the race, "The competitors were too fast," adding, "My start was not good, which broke my rhythm, and it was too late to catch up." Watching the race footage, she started in the first lane but was already behind her opponents before clearing the first hurdle.

Uyenny, who participated in the women's 100m hurdles event at the 2024 Diamond League, attracts attention with her heavy makeup, unlike other athletes.
[Photo by Weibo]

However, despite Wu Yanni's explanation, netizens' anger did not subside easily. This was because Wu Yanni wore heavy makeup and revealing clothing even inside the stadium. Photos from the day of the race show Wu Yanni with sparkling star-shaped cubic zirconia near her eyes and heavy eye makeup, making her appearance stand out compared to other athletes. For these reasons, netizens criticized Wu Yanni's poor performance as being related to her focus on appearance.

Immediately after the race, posts related to Wu Yanni flooded China's social networking service (SNS) Weibo. Netizens commented, "Fans come to see Wu Yanni for the competition, not for her looks," "I don't understand why she wears makeup while competing," "Her outfit is excessively provocative," and "It's problematic when a track athlete draws attention to secondary things rather than the competition." One netizen, Mr. A, harshly criticized Wu Yanni's plastic surgery, saying, "Everything went downhill after the double eyelid surgery." Previously, in November last year, Wu Yanni confessed that she had undergone double eyelid surgery, saying, "Women like to become beautiful, and I want to be beautiful too," and "I can't stop pursuing beauty because of some comments on SNS."

Meanwhile, Wu Yanni is a promising athlete who holds the highest ranking in the 100m hurdles event within China. She is ranked 39th in the world. In August, she won a silver medal with a time of 12.79 seconds in the 100m hurdles at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, southwestern China, and will represent China at the Paris Olympics scheduled for July. However, at the Hangzhou Asian Games held in Zhejiang Province on October 1 last year, she was disqualified for a false start.