In the long run, Fu clinched a bronze medal and a brand new personal-excellent time of 58.76 seconds inside the finals on Tuesday. Gold medalist Sun Yang, who won the men’s 200m freestyle on the same day, came to hug and congratulate her. Fu didn’t recognize she had tied for 0.33 until a CCTV reporter informed her in an interview on Tuesday after the final. Whilst she learned her time, she stated with a massive smile, “It was too speedy!” The reporter informed her she became most effective one-hundredth of a second in the back of the silver medalist. She spoke back that perhaps she had shorter palms.

In the video that’s raged online because the semifinal, Fu, whose jaw dropped and eyes bulged in pleasure and shock, said she couldn’t even consider she swam so rapidly. She exclaimed: “handiest ghosts are aware of what I have endured inside the past 3 months. From time to time, I idea I was going to die. The schooling classes for the Olympics are a fate worse than the loss of life.” When the reporter requested whether she turned into hopeful in the final, she stated, “Under no circumstances! I’m already delighted!”

Internet Sensation

Whilst asked by means of the reporter whether she had used all of her energy within the semifinal, she stated, “I wasn’t preserving again, I used to be the usage of prehistoric powers.”The phrase “prehistoric powers” — which entered famous parlance closing yr after it changed into utilized in a drama series, and is roughly analogous to “the Force” noted within the “Superstar Wars” movies — quickly became a rallying cry for Fu’s supporters. Fu’s vibrant and effective personality has captivated neighborhood Internet users. Web-users published pics of her appearing energetic and vivacious after past competitions and used them to create a chain of cartoon pics based on her quotations. Internet customers have called her a residing “emoticon” and stated they might be searching ahead to more put up-sport interviews from her in the destiny. Via 5 pm on Tuesday, Fu’s Weibo account has attracted three million followers.