Ning Zetao, the swimmer who won the hearts and minds (well, mostly hearts) of Chinese fans during the Rio Olympics has been booted off China's national team.
Ning was cited for violating several rules, including signing sponsorship contracts without the team's consent. In early January, Ning inked a lucrative deal with Adidas. This deal placed Ning in an awkward position since the Chinese national team was sponsored by 361, a domestic competitor of Adidas.
A statement from the Swimming Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China said the decision to dismiss Ning was made last October. The statement also said that Ning refused the team's competition assignment. More seriously, the statement noted Ning declined to participate in an Olympic qualifying event which caused the Chinese team to miss the freestyle relay at the Rio Olympics.
Ning first shot to fame when he became the first Asian to win the 100 meters freestyle at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Russia. After his win, his Weibo fan base grew from 10,000 to over 1 million in just 24 hours.
However, Ning is most celebrated for his chiseled physique. The hard-bodied swimmer with boyish good looks from Henan prefers to be called baozi, or 'stuffed bun,' because he was once quoted saying "I like eating the buns and I look like one. The good contains rich and delicious fillings."
After news of Ning's dismissal spread, fans took to social media to support the swimmer. One Weibo user said "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. Which athlete hasn't been signing commercial endorsements? Don't embarrass yourself."
A hot bod will indeed get you adoring fans and sponsorships but not necessarily back into the good graces of the national team. Since his dismissal, Ning has been sent back to to the Chinese Navy team for training. It's not clear when or whether Ning will return to the national team.
[Images via The Daily Mail, South China Morning Post]
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