'It's normal for women to wear makeup': Chinese sprinter fights controversy

Wu was the biggest hope of host China in the women's 100m hurdles at the Asian Games in early October 2023. However, the 26-year-old athlete started earlier than the signal and was disqualified. The elimination made Wu receive heavy criticism for months. Previously, at the Asian Championships in Thailand in July, she also made the same mistake in the 100m hurdles final.

At two Diamond League events in China in May this year, Wu continued to draw criticism for wearing heavy makeup and outfits deemed too sexy, and finishing last. At that time, there were also people who praised her courage for daring to compete with the world's top athletes instead of backing out.

Wu Yanni argues with an official after a false start in the women's 100m hurdles final athletics event during the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Oct. 1, 2023. Photo by AFP

However, Wu did not let her passion be buried in criticism. She came back strong and gradually became a new idol for Chinese youth.

Two weeks after the Diamond League events, Wu finished first in the Kinami Michitaka and the Tokyo Seiko Gold Grand Prix in Japan, where she continuously broke records. Her result of 12.8 seconds in Tokyo on May 19 is the best achievement of an Asian athlete in the women's 100m hurdles in 2024.

Wu's success came from her change of approach to tournaments. She found herself focusing too much on results, leading to a fear of failure.

"The fact that people pay more attention to my appearance actually makes me perform better," Wu told The Paper.

"They say I like to show off and then laugh at me. Maybe they're right, maybe I like to go extra in front of a crowd. But the more people pay attention, the more excited I am and the more I want to show off. I think it's normal for a woman to wear makeup. You cannot take away a person's right to take care of their appearance."

Wu's career and life are greatly influenced by her mother, including her makeup habits. When Wu started achieving great results in tournaments, her mother told her to wear makeup because she would look more beautiful in the photos.

At first, Wu ignored this advice. But in the summer of 2023, when attending a tournament in Chengdu, she wore makeup for the first time. She thought it was an important step because when she watched the videos of her performance, she found herself looking less pale and tired. That helped her be more confident.

Wu Yanni greets the audience at the Yangtze River Delta International Track and Field Diamond Championships in Suzhou, China, on April 27, 2024. Photo by AFP

Besides her mother, former Chinese track and field athlete Liu Xiang also has a great influence on Wu.

The 40-year-old runner is an athletics icon in China. He is the only male athlete in history who has won the Olympic and world championships as well as the 110m hurdles record.

To date, Liu still holds the men's 110m hurdles record with a time of 12.91 seconds. He was also the athlete who brought home the first Olympic gold medal in athletics for China with victories in Athens, Greece in 2004.

Wu hopes to follow Liu's path when she attends the 2024 Olympics Paris. Her goal in this event is to break the women's 100m hurdles record of China, currently at 12.64 seconds.