Olympics gymnastics star comes crashing back to reality after winning silver in Paris

By Alastair Talbot

Published: | Updated:

Olympic gymnast Zhou Yaqin was spotted helping out at her family's business back in China just a week after winning silver in Paris. 

The 18-year-old was seen serving dishes to customers, who seemed to have barely noticed her, at her mother's restaurant in her hometown of Hengyang in the Hunan Province on Thursday.

'Remember that cute Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin? After winning the Olympic silver, she has returned to her parents' home for a vacation,' an account going by 'Shanghai Panda,' posted on X along with footage of the gymnast. 


'Of course you can't call it a vacation. Because she needs help work in the restaurant run by her parents.' 

People on social media praised Yaqin for her humility despite recently triumphing in front of the world. 

The 18-year-old was praised for her humility on social media
She won silver in the women's balance beam event

Viral footage shows silver medalist Zhou Yaqin serving dishes at her family's restaurant in her Olympic gear on Thursday

Yaqin went viral at the Olympics after she imitated fellow podium finishers in biting her medal

Yaqin went viral at the Olympics after she imitated fellow podium finishers in biting her medal

'That's why discipline plays an important part in lives of champions like her,' a user pointed out on Instagram.

'Their upbringing is such that they remain humble and down to earth.' 

'This is so inspirational to see,' someone else wrote while another person added: 'She just boaster her mom's restaurant, much respect.'

Yaqin also shared a snap of a wall with all of her accomplishments in gymnastics at her family's eatery on popular Chinese social media platform, Weibo: 'i recommend everybody to come visit my family's restaurant.' 

Yaqin competing in the women's balance beam, which she later finished on the podium for

Yaqin competing in the women's balance beam, which she later finished on the podium for

She won silver in the women's balance beam event at the Paris Olympics, scoring 14.100 in the final, just 0.766 points short of her qualification score (14.866). 

She lost out to Italy's Alicia D'Amato but went viral during the medal ceremony, as she imitated her fellow podium finishers by biting her medal in front of cameras. 

Yaqin also competed on Team China's all-around and women's floor individual events at the Olympics, although she did not win any additional medals bar her sole silver. 

Earlier this year, Yaqin earned a silver medal at the World Gymnastics Championships.

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