Zhang Guowei of China reacts during men's high jump final of 2017 IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai, east China, May 13, 2017. Zhang Guowei took the 4th place with 2.24 metres. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)
Funny video clips of former high jump world silver medalist Zhang Guowei has been circulating online in China, drawing the public attention again after his retirement last month.
BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Funny video clips of high jumper Zhang Guowei has been circulating online, drawing the public attention again after he announced retirement last month.
The former Beijing world championships' silver medalist announced retirement in April, two months away from his 29th birthday, but his popularity did not drop.
In recent days, video clips of his cosplay of main characters from Japanese sports manga series the Slam Dunk, his weird dances before each competition, and his gobbling down a big slice of watermelon spread quickly online.
China's Zhang Guowei reacts during the men's high jump final at the 2015 IAAF World Champships at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 30, 2015. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
His every post on his Weibo account can receive hundreds of comments and likes from his over three million followers.
He is also set to appear in a TV program themed on the Children's Day and will be aired on June 1.
Born in east China's Shandong Province, Zhang was well known for his playful style among track and field fans. In 2013, he cleared 2.32 meters to break Zhu Jianhua's 27-year-old national indoor record.
China's Zhang Guowei reacts during the men's high jump final at the 2015 IAAF World Champships at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 30, 2015. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)
In 2015, Zhang recorded his personal best performance as he cleared the bar at 2.38m in the IAAF Diamond League, just 0.01m shy of the national record of 2.39m, also held by Zhu. In the same year, Zhang also won the silver medal at the Beijing world championships.
In recent years, however, Zhang struggled to regain his form following a series of injuries, including his failure to make it into the final round at Rio 2016. ■
