Viral Chinese Olympian Zhou Yaqin returns to work at restaurant

Chinese Olympian Zhou Yaqin, who went viral during the Paris Olympics 2024 for her spontaneous reaction at the medal awarding ceremony, has captured the attention of social media once again.

A video went viral on social media showing Yaqin helping out at her family’s restaurant in Hengyang City in China.

The video shows Zhou Yaqin attending to customers and serving a bowl of soup to a table while dressed in her Olympic uniform.

Social media users hailed the 18-year-old gymnast who won the silver medal at the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024.

The video first went viral on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo and Douyin, and soon captured the attention of users across social media platforms.

@dailymail Zhou Yaqin, the Chinese Olympic gymnast who went viral for the heartwarming moment she copied her fellow medalists’ pose, has returned to work at her parents’ restaurant. #olympics #parisolympics2024 #paris2024 #china #gymnast #gymnastics #cute #wholesome ♬ Olympic Opening Ceremony ★ Orchestra – The Dream of a Butterfly

It is pertinent to mention that Zhou Yaqin was pipped to the gold by Italy’s Alice D’Amato after suffering a slip on the beam during her routine at the balance beam final on August 6.

The 18-year-old Chinese athlete was awarded the silver medal while Manila Esposito took the bronze medal.

Despite finishing with a silver medal, Yaqin won hearts when an innocent reaction which went viral on social media.

Following the final, Zhou Yaqin smiled and posed for photographs and videos with the other contestants when the two Italian athletes did the tradition of medal chomp (biting the medal) after gaining victory.

The tradition seemed new to the Chinese Olympian as she was seen surprised by the actions. Nonetheless, she followed suit and tried the gesture herself. However, Yaqin seemed hesitant to bite the medal.

It was her reaction that left the internet in splits as several mentioned her innocence despite reaching the global stage.