Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics: Speed skater to face punishment for 'inappropriate remarks and actions'

Taiwanese speed skater Huang Yu-ting will be facing disciplinary actions for her repeated 'inappropriate remarks and actions' at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Taiwan's Education Minister Pan Wen-chung announced that the action will be taken within the next two weeks against the Olympic skater.

With China and Taiwan always at loggerheads with each other, with the former perpetually threatening to annex the latter nation and forcing it to use the name 'Chinese Taipei' instead of Taiwan in international competition, the political backdrop of this incident is too volatile.

First, on February 3, Huang posted a video of herself training in a Chinese uniform. When Taiwan citizens criticized her for wearing a uniform of a country that constantly threatens to seize Taiwan, she took down the video but, defended herself by saying "sports do not take nationality into account".

After the incident, Taiwan's Sports Administration had announced no action would be taken against Huang but also warned all the athletes to be careful when posting on social media.

Later during the Games, Huang was cited by the Beijing Daily saying that she felt welcome by the spectators in Beijing and that "it felt like competing on her home field". Also, in an interview, when Deutsche Welle asked her if she was representing China or Taiwan, Huang said "Chinese Taipei", a name Taiwan is forced to use to compete in international competitions due to political pressure from China.

After her last event on February 17, Huang took to Facebook to invite trolls and haters to make comments. She posted the invitation on Weibo (Chinese app), saying that the platform is similar to Facebook and people can't complain.

Premier Pan Su Tseng-chang during an interview with the CAN said that Huang had made extremely inappropriate remarks and actions at the Beijing Olympics.

Pan has asked the Sports Administration to gather relevant information and hold a meeting with the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and the Chinese Taipei Skating Union to discuss Huang's subsidies, penalties and participation in future tournaments.

He also emphasized that athletes receive funding and training facilities from taxpayers' money. The athletes should remember that they represent the country and hence meet the expectations of the Taiwanese people.