China's "Lord of the Rings" Chen Yibing got a gold medal on Monday from netizens who pooled their money online to buy the gold for Chen after his surprise defeat in the men's rings competition in the London Olympic Games, reported Beijing Morning Post.
"It's the heaviest gold I've ever received," the gymnast said at the Baidu World Conference.
A netizen surnamed Zheng launched an online campaign on Aug 7 to raise 6,000 yuan ($947) to buy the medal for Chen, whose defeat was widely regarded as unfair.
By the time the campaign ended, more than 400 netizens had donated 12,530 yuan, according to Beijing Morning Post.
"As the judges didn't give a gold to Chen, let us award him," said Zheng, who launched the campaign.
Zheng told Beijing Morning Post that a Shenzhen-based company made the gold medal free of charge after finding out that it was for Chen. Zheng added he would return all the donations to the netizens.
Chen has won eight world championship titles in six years. Gunning for his fourth Olympic title, Chen was surprisingly defeated in London by Brazil's Arthur Zanetti.
Review: London 2012 Olympic Games
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