Home / News
China's Olympic badminton champion Lin Dan apologized on Thursday for cheating on his wife, hours after the affair was exposed online, shocking and disappointing many fans.
Photos featuring the two-time Olympic champion, who became a father two weeks ago, dating a woman during his wife Xie Xingfang's pregnancy, were posted by entertainment reporter Zhao Wu'er on Weibo, China's major micro blog service, on Thursday morning.
"As a man, I will not defend what I have done. My behavior has hurt my family. I apologize to my family. Sorry," Lin, 33, wrote on his Weibo, which has 3.3 million followers.
The photos show intimate behavior between Lin and a woman in a hotel, as well as the two holding hands on the street.
The woman is reported to be Zhao Yaqi, a little-known actress and model in China.
Lin's post received more than 260,000 comments within an hour, most of which expressed disappointment over his conduct.
"I'm really heartbroken. Are you still the Lin Dan I have supported for so many years? You were my hero, but not anymore," wrote a Weibo user named Buchi Boluo.
"As an athlete, Lin Dan is undoubtedly very successful. As a husband and father, he is disqualified," wrote another user called Yanzhijin.
One of the country's most high-profile athlete couples in the past decade, Lin and Xie, also a badminton world champion, started dating in 2004 and got married six years later.
In 2012, they held a wedding ceremony in Beijing University of Technology's gymnasium, where Lin got his first Olympic title and Xie won the women's singles silver medal.
Their son was born on Nov 4 and Lin posted a photo on Weibo, featuring the couple holding the baby.
Dubbed "Super Dan" in China, Lin, still active, is the only man to have retained an Olympic singles title - in 2008 and 2012 - and is the most-crowned singles player at the World Championship, claiming the title five times between 2006 and 2013.
Last year, Lin, who frequently attends fashion events, established his own underwear brand. He also has many endorsement deals, including for badminton equipment and luxury watches.
Xie, also a former world No 1, won World Championship titles in 2005 and 2006 before retiring in 2009.
tangyue@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 11/18/2016 page5)
