Chinese Olympic medallist returns from Paris to wait tables at family restaurant

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Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin, who came to global attention for her “medal-biting” moment after making the podium at the Olympics, has gone viral again – this time for waiting tables at her family’s restaurant in Hunan province.

A video, reported by CGTN, showing the 18-year-old serving food in the restaurant while wearing her uniform from the Olympics has captured the attention of social media users, with some calling her “humble” and others labelling her “innocent”.

Zhou was visiting her family in Hengyang and helping out at their restaurant, according to a post on social media.

The video has garnered nearly three million views since it was posted on 13 August and over 20,000 likes.

One user wrote on X: “It’s touching to see Zhou Yaqin balancing her Olympic triumph with family duties. Such humility!”

Some called it a marketing move. A commentator wrote: “She earned a silver medal but she’s giving gold-level service to the customers at her parent’s restaurant. She even wore her sportswear – what a clever marketing move for the restaurant!”

The video was reportedly first shared by a user called Shanghai Panda with the caption: “Remember that cute Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin? After winning the Olympic silver medal, she has returned to her parents’ home for a vacation. Of course, you can’t call it a vacation. Because she needs to help work in the restaurant run by her parents.”

An X user noted: “Working hard and earning for the family is a noble job. She should be proud. Her medal moment is immortalised in the world of the internet.”

Another said: “Her family and community must be proud.”

A few users, however, felt “something was not right” about the video, without elaborating.

After winning a silver medal in the women’s gymnastics balance beam event on 5 August, Zhou went viral for her adorable reaction to cameras capturing the moment that Alice D’Amato, 21, and Manila Esposito, 17, took obligatory bites of their new medals.

Zhou seemed surprised by the tradition, with the cameras capturing her eyes widening in shock. She then tried her hand at the tradition without actually biting the medal.

On X, people adored Zhou’s “golden retriever” and “little sister” energy.

“Just holds it in front of her mouth!” one user wrote. “I love it.”