Seventeen-year-old Olympic diving sensation Quan Hongchan was left visibly shaken after being surrounded by hundreds of fans at a hotel in Macao during the national Olympians' three-day visit to the city.
Quan, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, broke down in tears inside a public restroom as fans crowded her, disregarding her personal space and privacy.
Quan sought refuge in a female restroom and was followed by the relentless crowd. Video via 四川观察/Sina Weibo
The incident occurred on the night of September 1 at Galaxy Macau, where the Chinese Olympic delegation was staying.
After spending time with her teammates, Quan was met with a swarm of fans upon returning to the hotel.
In a bid to escape, she sought refuge in a female restroom, only to be followed by the relentless crowd.
Disturbingly, several male fans reportedly forced their way into the women's restroom, where they proceeded to film her.
Video footage circulating online shows Quan shouting, "Make way! Make way!" as she attempted to free herself from the chaotic scene.
Despite hotel staff and event organizers repeatedly asking the crowd to respect Quan's privacy, the fans refused to leave.
A staff member was heard addressing the crowd, saying, "If you don't follow the rules, there will be no photos."
Later, another staff member was overheard saying, "Quan is inside crying because she's been scared."
Eventually, Quan was escorted to safety by security guards, without interacting with the fans or taking any photos.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation online, criticizing the fans for their inappropriate behavior.
Many urged the public to respect athletes' personal lives and not treat them like celebrities to be hounded for attention.
This episode is part of a growing concern over 'fan culture', '饭圈 fan quan' in Chinese, infiltrating the world of sports.
Once primarily associated with pop stars and actors, this phenomenon has now reached athletes, with some fans crossing boundaries and disrupting athletes' lives.
According to a media survey, 82.4% of respondents believe that sports have becoming increasingly "fan-obsessed" in recent years.
While the athletes were warmly received by the public in most interactions, the incident involving Quan highlights the growing challenge of maintaining boundaries in a fan-obsessed world.
As athletes continue to rise in prominence, both they and their fans will need to navigate the fine line between admiration and invasion of privacy.
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[Cover image by That's, Screenshot of Video by 四川观察/Sina Weibo]
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