Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao ranks 12th but remains No. 1 with his fandom

We're pretty sure we haven't seen the last of him.
 By 
Alicia Tan
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Ever since the 23-year-old swimmer Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao made his debut at the Rio Olympics, social media posts have seemed more interested in him modelling for photos than for his Olympic success.

On Wednesday, Ning came in sixth in the semifinals of the men's 100m freestyle, which meant he ranked 12th overall and lost out on a spot in the finals.

Despite being beaten, the swimmer remained positive, telling CRI News that he had tried his best. "I'm really happy and satisfied. It is not easy, every step of the way. I'm very proud to be here at the Olympic Games," he said.


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Ning also took to his Weibo account to thank his fans for their support and concern. In the post, Ning promised to continue to work harder, swim faster and celebrate his youthful energy.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In less than 24 hours, Ning's post received over 900,000 likes, 60,000 shares and close to 120,000 comments.

Most of the comments encouraged Ning and were literally littered with heart and kissing emoji.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

So while we're a little sad that we won't get to watch Ning anymore at Rio, we're pretty sure we've not seen the last of him.

Topics Olympics

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Alicia Tan

Alicia Tan was an Asia Deputy Editor at Mashable. She has over 11 years of experience in journalism, magazine production and content publishing; specialising in women's lifestyle, fashion and beauty. When she's not writing, she's obsessing over Totoro, Ryan Gosling and online shopping.

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