250 million react online as Chinese Olympic hero closes his fan club over toxic fan culture

BEIJING: Chinese Olympic champion and new 100m freestyle world record holder Pan Zhanle has been making headlines lately, but not in the water.

His fame was further increased – if that is even possible given his already enormous popularity – by taking a stand against so-called fandom culture.

He even went so far as to disband his official fan group, a move for which he received much praise.

Pan, affectionately known as “the new flying fish,” became a national sensation at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he won two gold medals and took Chinese swimming to new heights.

Not only did he set a new world record in the men's 100m freestyle, but on his 20th birthday he also helped lead a historic victory in the men's 4x100m medley relay, ending 64 years of U.S. dominance in the event.

His direct, lively and candid demeanor deviates from the traditional, scripted form of most media interactions.

In an interview with state television broadcaster CCTV, he publicly criticized the food in the Olympic Village, saying: “The meat tastes like wood.”

In another interview, he openly criticized the unsportsmanlike behavior of his rival, Australian Kyle Chalmers, saying: “I greeted Chalmers, but he completely ignored me.”

Chinese Internet users have taken it to heart.

Their support has taken Pan to a new level and earned him an incredible number of fans in China.

The number of followers on his personal Douyin account increased by 1 million within just five days of his championship victory on August 1.

However, as the popularity of sports stars increases, so does concern about an escalation of so-called fan culture.

Phenomena such as excessive spending on advertising contracts, irrational forms of support and confrontations on the Internet have combined to undermine the traditional importance of sport.

During the women's table tennis final between the two Chinese athletes Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng, some Chinese fans not only cheered for their favorite, but also booed the other participant, even though both represented China.

A similar scenario played out with Olympic diving gold medalists Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi, who are not only competitors but also teammates and good friends.

However, after Chen won a national competition against Quan last year, Quan's fans on social media unleashed a torrent of verbal abuse against Chen, accusing her of “stealing” Quan's gold medal.

Pan's stance on this issue was seen as a direct challenge to this toxic fan culture.

On August 12, Pan unexpectedly disbanded his only official fan group on Weibo. This move quickly became a hot topic, with more than 250 million views online at the time of this writing.

The fan group was reportedly founded in 2021, when Pan was still relatively unknown, and was led by himself and included members who genuinely loved swimming.

However, Pan's sudden fame brought an influx of new followers to the group, which made him feel increasingly uncomfortable.

The exact number of followers of the group at the time of its closure was not disclosed.

In an interview with CCTV, Pan mentioned the fickleness of fans who gather outside his hotel for autographs in good times but not when the going gets tough.

“Success comes through gradual training. When my performance was bad, they didn't come to find me. But now they do, and it feels really strange and uncomfortable. I hope I can keep a low profile and enjoy some peace and quiet,” he said.

Many people online have praised Pan for his “clear head.”

“Pan is really clear-headed. These Olympics have made him mature a lot and he doesn't waste energy. He is really great and has the potential to achieve even greater things,” one person said.

“Athletes are praised when they perform well, but as soon as their performance drops, they are criticized, like what happened to (Chinese hurdler) Liu Xiang. One minute they are fans, the next they are haters,” another person said.

“Athletes should only focus on the competition and ignore everything else. Sports competitions do not need a fan culture,” said a third. – South China Morning Post