Wang Meng
Wang Meng (Chinese: 王濛), once the winner of three gold medals at the Vancouver Games in 2010, became a troubled athlete who was expelled from China’s speed skating team on August 4, 2011 and banned from international competition.
The promising champion met her Waterloo when she hung out late in Qingdao on July 24, failing to return in time before the set curfew. Her team manager Wang Chunlu tried to talk to her, however, the two ended up in a fight, which sent Wang Meng to the hospital.
Several days later, the national team punished Wang Meng by expelling her. The decision infuriated the hot tempered athlete, who made a quick response on her microblog, saying she would hold a press conference to reveal skeletons in the team’s closet. However, not a piece of negative news has yet been leaked from the expelled champion.
The Qingdao incident was not the first trouble that Wang Meng made to worsen the reputation of the national speed skating team. In early June, Wang and her teammates were involved in a brawl with local security guards in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, when celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival at a local pub. Local police accused Wang and her teammates of making too much noise and singing after midnight. The dispute was resolved after Wang and her teammates paid compensation for damages to the city.
After the two incidents, Wang’s dismissal became a hot discussion topic among netizens, many of whom believe China’s athletes need to be more well-disciplined. A number of people believe the issue resulted from a systematic problem than a personal phenomenon. An anonymous insider in the speed skating world said, "As for a special athlete like Wang Meng who has a strong personality, China’s Winter Sports Administration took the wrong approach by quelling her and depriving her of the chance to speak out. This made Wang a target of public criticism and led to her psychological avalanche."
On August 15, 2011, team manager Wang Chunlu was removed from her post due to her part in the July 24 incident.
