In 2008, criticism was not limited to age. It extended to the Chinese gymnasts’ makeup, as well, with the two themes often treated as inseparable. Writing for NBC News, Thomas Boswell wrote:
But if it’s tears you want, the kind you feel inside when you see a small girl in glittery makeup trying to pretend she’s 16 — and eligible for the Olympics — when she may only be 14, then National Indoor Stadium was the place to come for that emotion, too.
Thomas Boswell, NBCNews.com
He returned to the subject later in the piece:
Next to He, accepting praise, was Jiang Yuyuan, an amazing uneven-bar performer. Both looked extremely young despite thick makeup, sparkles, and fairly sophisticated hairstyles.
Thomas Boswell, NBCNews.com
Across the Atlantic, Sonia Oxley echoed that sentiment in a Reuters piece pointedly titled “Makeup Cannot Cover up Age Issue.” She argued that makeup was being used to make the gymnasts appear older. The article opened:
Even with their eyeshadow and mascara, gymnasts look young. The question is, exactly how young? China’s tiny leotard-clad athletes have repeatedly had to fend off questions about not being old enough to compete at the Olympics. On Friday, the International Olympic Committee called for an investigation into exactly how old one gold medallist is.
Sonia Oxley, Makeup cannot cover up age issue, Reuters
The piece continued:
The nature of the sport means gymnasts often look younger than they really are because they are shorter than average and also very light. The glitter and the makeup helps them look a bit older.
Sonia Oxley, Makeup cannot cover up age issue, Reuters
So what did China have to say about all of this?
The official response came in the pages of Sports Illustrated China:
“Looks Matter As Much As Medals”
Recently, when China’s women’s gymnastics head coach Lu Shanzhen spoke about the team’s current work priorities, he revealed that in addition to arranging age-eligible athletes to prepare for the London Olympics, the team will also make improvements to their makeup skills part of their regular training plan.
In addition to a 10-day winter training camp, the women’s team plans to incorporate improvements in makeup standards into their day-to-day work. The main reason for this decision, Lu Shanzhen explained, is that during the Beijing Olympics, the gymnasts’ makeup attracted fierce criticism online.
Lu Shanzhen said that although the women’s team has not yet planned to hire professional makeup artists, they will, at appropriate times, arrange training for the athletes in basic makeup techniques.
Sports Illustrated China, December 17, 2008
爱江山更爱美人
日前，中国女子体操队总教练陆善真聊起近期的工作重点时透露，除安排伦敦奥运会的适龄球员展开为期10天的冬训外，女队还将改进化妆水平提到日常工作计划中来。之所以有这样的考虑，一个最主要的原因就是队员在参加北京奥运会时的妆容在网络上受到猛烈批评。陆善真表示，虽然女队还没有聘请专业化妆师的打算，但会在适当时候为姑娘们安排化妆技巧的培训。
The literal translation of the title would be: “Loves rivers and mountains, loves beautiful women even more.”
The passage is revealing less for what it says about cosmetics than for what it says about the moment. Criticism that began as an eligibility controversy had widened into scrutiny of presentation, appearance, and femininity. Rather than dismissing that commentary outright, officials acknowledged it and treated grooming as something to be managed alongside training and competition preparation.
Whether their makeup techniques improved in the years that followed, I’ll leave that for you to decide.
Note
I deliberately chose not to include an image with this post. I did not want to single out any gymnast as somehow embodying this trend. To be honest, back in 2008, I was not even aware that people cared about the Chinese gymnasts’ makeup.
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