China Faces Worst Olympics Showing in 20 Years

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Despite a few bright spots -- the Chinese volleyball team's recent upset of Brazil, diving and ping pong sweeps and Fu Yuanhui everything -- it's been an absolutely abysmal Olympics for the Middle Kingdom, which faces its worst medal haul since 1996. 

They recently fell to third place in the total medal standings after being eclipsed by the UK, who currently boasts 19 gold medals compared to China's 17, prompting Xinhua News to tweet the following.....

......before quickly rescinding it, apparently realizing it wasn't their personal account. 

The US currently leads the pack with 28 gold. According to Reuters: 

"China's gold-medal count at the halfway mark in Rio stood at 13, far fewer than the 25 golds obtained by the same point in London. By Tuesday, the team had accumulated 48 medals -- 15 golds, 15 silvers and 18 bronze." They're currently on course to place third or worse overall for the first time since 2000. It's highest tally came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they garnered a whopping 51 medals. 

Xinhua News, who's social media manager apparently has the filter of a Chinese cigarette, summed up China's predicament perfectly in the following tweet:

Sports that China has ruled in the past they are faltering at in this Olympics. Once so dominant they were accused of Ivan Drago-esque doping and training camps more rigorous as DPRK gulags, Chinese gymnasts have failed to rack up any gold medals at this year's games, something that hasn't happened since they rejoined the Olympics in 1984. Gymnast Deng Shudi blamed insomnia for his performance, stating, "I didn’t get to sleep until 2 or 3am ... I just couldn’t fall asleep. I just don’t know what happened. My brain is empty.” Did his dog eat his leotard too? 

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Popularity Contest

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Strangely enough, the Chinese public seems unfazed by the piss-poor showing. According to theGlobal Times, "when the swimming team landed in China Tuesday, in spite of their less-than-expected performance, they were welcomed with flowers and applause in the airport."

And who can forget swimmer Fu Yuanhui, who, despite a bronze medal performance, has become a national sensation due to her exuberance, candor, and a range of facial expressions that rivals most Wechat emoticon selections. Not to mention her recent "period drama." Say what you want, but it's a nice respite from the hypernationalistic automatons you see standing on most podiums. Could the Olympics be morphing into a personality contest for China?

And more importantly, will this attitude translate to other facets of life here, such as the service industry, or the nation's math curriculum, where students get their heinies tenderized with a rattan stick for getting an A- in quantum mechanics.... 

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