Swimmer gives powerful reply to people criticizing her for wearing swimwear

Women in the public eye often face relentless moral policing, with everything from their actions to their clothing choices scrutinized. Some public figures, however, respond to such criticism in empowering ways. Liu Xiang, a former Chinese swimmer, recently pushed back against online trolls who criticized her for wearing swimsuits. According to the South China Morning Post, Liu, who represented China in swimming until her retirement in 2022, received overwhelming support for her response.

Since retiring from professional swimming, 28-year-old Liu Xiang has become a successful influencer, amassing 5.6 million followers on Douyin and 1.4 million on Weibo. She shares videos related to travel and swimming as per the outlet. "I saw many people calling me a soft-porn live-streamer. Is there something wrong with my lifestyle? Should I wear a down jacket instead of a swimsuit while swimming?" Xiang asked on social media. "I learned to swim at the age of five. Swimming has become an inseparable part of my life. I love myself in a swimsuit, and I appreciate seeing other girls in swimwear. I hope my social media content conveys a positive attitude towards life to my audience. Am I doing anything wrong?"

"If you ask whether I would dare to post videos of myself in a swimsuit in the future, my answer is: absolutely!" the swimmer expressed. Nothing has changed in Xiang's accounts after the altercation and she continues to post her usual content. The athlete had also received criticism over her appearance from people on social media earlier, where people commented about her weight gain. "OK, I know I am fat. It's a healthy beauty. I embrace everything about myself. I am the most beautiful one," the swimmer commented. Many people supported the athlete and expressed that the criticism that the swimmer received was fairly unwarranted and unnecessary.

"It's absolutely right to show your true self. Swimming is not just a sport; it's a way of life. I support your confidence and determination," one person commented. "What kind of people criticize Liu? They must have shadows in their minds, leading them to perceive everything negatively," another person wrote. The 28-year-old had also won several accolades for her country as a swimmer. She won a gold medal in the 50-meter backstroke at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and set multiple world records as a swimmer, per the outlet.

However, Xiang is not the first Chinese athlete to receive criticism over her appearance and clothing choices. Wu Liufang, a former gymnast on the national team, received criticism over her thirst trap videos and experienced a temporary ban on her account for the same. However, she also gained millions of followers once the ban was lifted and people on the internet showed her massive support.

In a similar story, the internet rallied behind an Olympic athlete who stood her ground against an entitled couple on a flight. Canadian bobsleigh Olympian Cynthia Appiah took to TikTok to share her story. When the athlete got on the plane, a woman was already seated. When Appiah asked her about it, the person said, "Yeah, I know I am, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind switching with my seat just behind me so I can sit with my boyfriend during this flight." The woman's seat was a window seat, while Appiah wanted an aisle seat, so she refused to exchange her seat. "You can choose seat selection ahead of time. If you don't want to pay for it, then that's up to you and you deal with the consequences of not getting the seat you want for the plane ride," the athlete pointed out.