After the 2024 Olympics, swimmer Angelina Köhler criticized that the Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei was not blocked despite the positive doping test. At the swimming World Cup in Singapore, she is concerned about the reactions of Chinese fans.
The hatred has left traces that Angelina Köhler made no secret of the swimming World Cup in Singapore before her title defense. “Of course I am worried that I am being booed there,” she told the Süddeutsche Zeitung: “In Singapore, many Chinese spectators will be. And then you don’t know if this is controlled by a few. But I hope that most will remain fair anyway.”
At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Köhler had critically commented on the controversial Chinese Zhang Yufei after fourth place in the final over 100 meters of butterfly, which had snatched her bronze medal. She spoke of a “bitter aftertaste”. Zhang belonged to 23 swimmers and swimmers who had been tested positively for the heart remedy trimetacid in China in early 2021 but not blocked.
NaziBilder, Hitler greetings & doped pigs
The Hass messages followed Köhler’s criticism. “Hundreds, and everything was there. Nazi bilder, Hitler greetings. They wrote that I was a Nazi, I was racist, I was a doped pig. So really nasty stuff,” said the 24-year-old from Dernbach (Westerwaldkreis): “They really finished me.” All of this led to “delusion of persecution”, which is still troublesome Köhler: “I haven’t overcome that, that is still swinging.”
On Sunday, Köhler starts her title defense in the lead over 100 m butterfly, she is happy how she survived the hostility – also thanks to the help of her sports psychologist Monika Liesenfeld. “At the moment I get almost consistently positive news, luckily a little grass has grown over the matter. I hope that stays that way at the World Cup in Singapore,” said Köhler.
Angelina Köhler does not want to be intimidated
As a consequence of the experiences in and from Paris, she “reduced” her social media activities. She would like to separate from it, but it doesn’t work. As a athlete, you have to be half influencer these days. However, she still wants to represent her opinion. “You shouldn’t be intimidated, I don’t want to and will not want to,” said Köhler.
“I didn’t doubt Zhang Yufeis medal. I only have only criticized the system. It cannot be that you start for clean sport and then be showered with hate messages. There is something wrong in this world.”
Broadcast on Fri., 25.7.2025 12:00 p.m., SWR currently on noon, SWR current
