People are distraught their favorite Olympian got kicked out of the team
Ning Zetao, China's favourite Olympic heartthrob, has been forced to get off the national swim team and thirsty fans cannot believe their ears.
The news started circulating after a leaked memo on Wednesday, detailing why the swimmer, who is ranked 12th internationally, will not be with the rest of the national team.
The memo from China's top swimming authority, the Swimming Management Center is dated Oct. 18, 2017, said Ning was kicked off the team for making unauthorised advertising endorsements, as well as showing poor conduct.
It says an incident in which he failed to obey competition rules resulted in the Chinese men's team missing the 4x200m freestyle relay at the Rio de Janeiro Games last year.
Ning hasn't exactly hidden his commercial tie-ups, despite warnings from the swimming authority.
The swimmer has made sponsorship deals with Chinese dairy brand Yili, a competitor for Mengniu, which sponsors the official team.
He also has a contract with Adidas -- which competes with local sporting goods brand 361 Degrees, a sponsor of the national team as well.
But Ning's fans are out for blood on Weibo.
NorthernManMailbox said: "I feel that athletes should do their own endorsements -- where's the swimming authority when those who won championships and stopped becoming athletes become too sick and too poor? I side with them on this."
Some think there's a conspiracy, and that officials just pinned the blame on his endorsements.
LinaYeHey: "I'll speak realistically -- if Ning Zetao was fired last year, why would Adidas still sign an endorsement claiming that he's a national swimmer? Wouldn't this be scamming the public? If Ning is in such a low point, wouldn't Adidas need to understand his predicament before signing an endorsement? There's more than enough athletes, it doesn't have to be just him."
XiaoMeXiaoErBackpackstoSchool: "I still like him even after he's fired -- he's handsome and buff and he's not at fault. Those who keep insulting him are just jealous of his hot bod. If you criticise his entrance into entertainment, just how many dramas and movies has he been in? [None.] Which athlete hasn't been signing commercial endorsements? Don't embarrass yourself, are you the first Asian winner of the 100-meter freestyle FINA world championships?"
YouJingYaYeBa: "#NingZeTaoFiredByNationalTeam Ning probably didn't give the leaders up there the money. So many athletes look for endorsements, and he gets punished? They've got to pick on the soft persimmons, don't they? (A saying that roughly equates to "they've got to pick on the ones that are easier to bully")"
Ning's dismissal wouldn't be the first bump in Ning's swimming career -- he was suspended in 2011 for doping.
But 2015 was a turning point, after he clinched gold in the men's 100m freestyle during the FINA world swimming championships in Kazan, Russia.
And his fame burned even brighter during the 2016 Rio Games, when his boyish good looks and eight-pack abs went viral across the country.
Meanwhile, the swimmer has remained oddly quiet on Weibo. His last post on Feb. 15 endorsed Adidas with a quote: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
Topics Olympics
I am an intern with Mashable Asia, focusing on viral news, lifestyle news and feature news in the region.
