Profile | Wu Yanni: glamour girl China champion hurdler with tattoo, makeup and attitude set to shine at Paris Olympics 2024
- 10th placing in latest race dismays fans who slam her sparkly makeup
- Unrepentant Wu says she has ‘right to be beautiful’, admits to plastic surgery
During the women’s 100m hurdles at the Diamond League meet of 2024, held in Xiamen on China’s southeast coast, on April 20, Chinese star athlete Wu Yanni completed her first outdoor competition of the year with a time of 13.04 seconds.
Her performance fell short of expectations – her own and those of her fans.
That, and the fact she was wearing glitter and star-shaped makeup during the race, sparked an online backlash.
Cosmetics controversy
During the competition, Wu was positioned in the first lane. Her start was less than ideal and she fell behind early while passing the first hurdle and struggled to close the gap with her competitors.
She finished in a disappointing 10th place.
“The competitors were just too fast. I tried to keep up from the start, but a poor take-off threw off my rhythm, and it was too late to catch up,” Wu told Chinanews.com.
Her decision to wear dramatic makeup during the race was also criticised.
