When Korean Player Falls, "Good Riddance"... Chinese 'Foul King' Wang Meng Sparks Controversy with Harsh Remarks

Wang Meng "I don't know how to even pity them" mockery

Former Chinese short track speed skater Wang Meng.
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Wang Meng (38), a former Chinese short track speed skater who served as a commentator for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics short track events, has sparked controversy by mocking a Korean athlete immediately after they fell, saying "You fell well." During her career, Wang Meng was known as the "King of Fouls" for deliberately engaging in physical confrontations against the Korean team.

On the 5th, Wang Meng provided commentary for the mixed relay 2000m short track event at the Beijing Capital Indoor Stadium during the Beijing Winter Olympics, broadcasted by China's state media CCTV.

That day, the Korean team, consisting of Choi Minjeong, Lee Yubin, Hwang Daeheon, and Park Janghyuk, competed in the quarterfinals alongside China, Poland, and Italy. With two laps remaining, Park Janghyuk tripped as his skate blade caught the ice while rounding a corner and fell. Ultimately, Korea finished third with a time of 2 minutes 48.308 seconds and failed to advance to the semifinals.

After confirming the Korean athlete's fall, Wang Meng applauded. Watching the replay, she asked, "Who is the player who fell there?" and then mocked, "He fell alone. It can't be helped. I don't know how to sympathize with him." She also sarcastically remarked, "It has nothing to do with us (China)" and "Who are they going to blame now?"

Meanwhile, China won the gold medal in the mixed relay 2000m short track final with a time of 2 minutes 37.348 seconds, beating Italy. However, controversy arose as China was awarded the gold despite the athletes not making the required 'touch' during the exchange. Regarding this, Wang Meng insisted, "There is no need to review it again. China won," making biased remarks.

Wang Meng is regarded as China's greatest short track speed skater in history, but her frequent fouls during her active career sparked controversies over her character. In 2011, she was expelled from the national team after being involved in an incident of assaulting a coach and was also excluded from international competition rosters.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.