US-born Chinese Olympic figure skater Zhu Yi is slammed on social media after team event flop 

China‘s American-born figure skater Zhu Yi was blasted on Chinese social media after she fell twice during her Olympic debut at Beijing‘s Capital Indoor Stadium on Sunday.

‘Zhu Yi has fallen’ was trending on Chinese social media platform Weibo, with some users slamming her for alleged false patriotism.

‘Please let her learn Chinese first, before she talks about patriotism,’ one Weibo user wrote. 

‘This is such a disgrace,’ another commented, gaining 11,000 likes from other users.

Zhu, 19, finished with the lowest score on day two of the women’s short program team event after she failed a jump and fell on the opening combination, and missed another jump later in the program.

Additionally, Weibo users are questioning why the California-born athlete was picked to represent China instead of a figure skater who was born in the country.

Zhu, born Beverly Zu in 2002, decided in 2018 to compete for China in the Olympics. She changed her name and gave up her American citizenship, however she is still facing criticisms for not being fluent in Chinese.    

China’s American-born figure skater Zhu Yi was blasted on Chinese social media after she fell twice during her Olympic debut at Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium on Sunday

Zhu, skating to Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones, scored 47.03 after she tumbled on her first combination triple flip-triple toeloop jump, crashed into the wall, and bungled her triple loop later in the set

Her performance knocked China from third to fifth place in the team event

Zhu, skating to Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones, scored 47.03 after she tumbled on her first combination triple flip-triple toeloop jump, crashed into the wall, and bungled her triple loop later in the set.

Her performance knocked China from third to fifth place in the team event. 

The skater was reportedly inconsolable after the performance. 

‘I’m upset and a little embarrassed,’ Zhu told the media Sunday, according to Reuters.

‘I guess I felt a lot of pressure because I know everybody in China was pretty surprised with the selection for ladies’ singles and I just really wanted to show them what I was able to do but unfortunately I didn’t.’ 

However, most Chinese citizens did not appear to respond with sympathy.

‘Anyone would question how she was chosen to the team. Is it because she has a scientist father?’ one Weibo user wrote.

‘Zhu Yi, how ridiculous your performance is! How dare you skate for China? You cannot even hold a candle to an amateur!’ echoed another.

‘Waiting for a storm that belongs to Zhu Yi, but really. What is this slipping?’ added a different user.

China has recruited at least a dozen foreign-born athletes, including Zhu (pictured), in recent years to compete on its Olympic team

Although the 19-year-old was mostly met with hate, a few Weibo users offered her some kindness.

‘I hope people don’t say this (insults) to Zhu,’ one wrote.

‘The level of our team is still far behind Russia and the US. It already showed courage by coming to the stage. No one who competes for the first time can perform perfectly. It’s okay if she can adjust her condition in the next competition,’ said another. 

China has recruited at least a dozen foreign-born athletes in recent years to compete on its Olympic teams, CNN reported, with Zhu being one of them.

Analysts allege the social media attack on the performer highlights the pressure naturalized athletes face while competing under the Chinese flag. 

In addition to be criticized over her American roots, she also faces backlash over coming from an allegedly privileged background with family ties.

Her father, Zhu Songchun, is an award-winning scientist who joined the staff at Beijing’s Peking University in 2020. He previously worked at the University of California, Los Angeles.