by Gwynn Guilford
Corporate sponsors are scrambling to find an inspiring angle to the Olympic flameout of Chinese hurdler and gold-medal hopeful Liu Xiang, who injured his Achilles Heel on the first hurdle in the first heat of the 110-meter event:
All of the brands that had invested heavily in him as their sponsor—BMW, Mini, Nike and more—rushed to switch messaging gears. "As the father of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin said, the Olympics most important thing is not to win, but to participate; not to have conquered, but to have fought. Liu Xiang achieved it!" That was the message on Tsingtao Beer's Weibo just a few hours after Liu's injury. The star hurdler is the anchor athlete of Tsingtao's London 2012 campaign. Mini Cooper China's message "Completing my journey, Regardless of position or results" — came with a questionable, if humorous, choice of images: a Mini roadster plowing carelessly through hurdles….
Nike has it the worst; in addition to Liu Xiang, it sponsors the Chinese men's basketball team:
Nike's Liu mess came just hours after the brand was forced to address the fact that China's Nike-sponsored basketball team had lost every game it played. Less than four hours before posting its "Who dares start all over again…" Liu Xiang message, Nike posted a (again prescient) message about China's basketball team falling out of contention: "Do not let your expectations disappoint. Tomorrow, please continue to pick up the ball. China basketball will never be extinguished…."
The salt in Nike's wounds is that China is otherwise doing spectacularly in London, trading the medal leads with America. Chinese [sportswear] brand Li-Ning is having a fabulous Olympics. Its Spain-sponsored basketball team is advancing and following a spectacular match that won him the badminton gold, China's Lin Dan gave a thankful pluck to the Li-Ning logo on his jersey.
Meanwhile, China Digital Times posts China's Propaganda Department directives regarding the coverage of Liu Xiang:
August 6, 2012
Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China: The media must not make predictions on Liu Xiang’s performance in the preliminary heat. Do not report negative news about him. The media must strongly affirm Liu’s indomitable fighting spirit against all odds….
August 7, 2012
Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China: In reporting on Liu Xiang failing to complete the race at the London Olympics, strictly adhere to the essence of the Department’s previous notice. Focus on Liu’s indomitable fighting spirit. Do not issue negative reporting or commentary.
But not everyone followed orders. Anthony Tao lets loose on the over-the-top gravitas of China Central Television's announcers:
Liu Xiang was in the sixth heat of the preliminaries in the 110-meter hurdles, and on his first leap his left foot collided with the hurdle, sending him down. He landed awkwardly, tumbled and tumbled, and the CCTV commentators emitted a scream and then went speechless for the next five seconds. One of them bravely managed the words, "Fallen to the ground," and then they let the runners who were on their feet cross the finish line without noting their existence or saying one goddamn word as if a half-deity had been assassinated and his blood was now pooling next to his beautiful evergreen body and turning the rubber MondoTrack black while the children of gods gouged out their eyes in disbelief.
And then one of the commentators totally lost perspective and began breathing hot and heavy into the microphone and sniffing and crying. HUH??? Grow a fucking pair, man. Liu Xiang is not your long-lost father, and he’s not DEAD. You didn’t see his foot fall off on live television…. He’s a fucking hurdler, for chrissakes — and one that didn’t try nearly as hard as this guy. PERSPECTIVE.