Tokyo Olympics 2021: Hong Kong swimmer described as ‘mixed race’ in South China Morning Post

A Hong Kong newspaper has come under fire after describing silver medalist Siobhan Haughey as a ‘mixed-race mermaid’ in a report on Wednesday.

A Hong Kong newspaper has come under fire after describing silver medalist Siobhan Haughey as a ‘mixed-race mermaid’.

Haughey, who was born to an Irish father and a Hong Kong Chinese mother, pushed Australian sensation Ariarne Titmus all the way in their 200m freestyle final to claim silver on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old had a choice of who to represent at the Olympics, picking Hong Kong before the 2016 Rio Olympics saying “I was born there, raised there, and feel connected and proud to represent Hong Kong.”

“Soaring into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games 200m freestyle final, Siobhan Bernadette Haughey has become the mixed-race mermaid tasked with leading Hong Kong’s next generation of elite-class swimmers,” the original article read.

While the article in the pro-Beijing newspaper has since been edited, the unedited line caused outrage amongst readers.

Nothing to see here, just the English language paper of record in “Asia’s World City” calling someone a “mixed-race mermaid.” https://t.co/03gEKSIV59

— alan montecillo (@alanmontecillo) July 28, 2021

Mixed race > mermaid > swimmer > athlete > Hong Kong athlete

Pretty sure Siobhan would have preferred "the Hong Kong athlete"

— Verbatim HKG 🇭🇰🇹🇼🏅 (@VerbatimHKG) July 28, 2021

Haughey is the grand niece of former Irish Prime Minister Charles Haughey and has another shot at a medal after qualifying second fastest in the 100m freestyle, behind Australian star Emma McKeon.

Commentator sacked over racist slur

An Olympic commentator has been sacked for making racist remarks about a South Korean athlete during coverage of the Tokyo Games.

ERT television station confirmed it had terminated veteran journalist Dimosthenis Karmiris for remarks he made when Jeoung Young-sik beat Panagiotis Gionis of Greece in men’s table tennis.

When asked to analyse the skill of South Korean team, he said: “their eyes are narrow so I can’t understand how they can see the ball moving back and forth.”

"As their eyes are slitty, how can they watch the ball coming and going."

It's 2021 and this is how a presenter on Greek state broadcaster @ertofficial_ comments on Asian table tennis players. #ERTTokyo2021#TokyoOlympics#OlympicGameshttps://t.co/KXIhjblHIq

— Damian Mac Con Uladh (@damomac) July 27, 2021

Karmiris made hand gestures and laughed as he made the comment.

Within hours the network posted the following statement.

“Racist comments have no place on public television,” ERT said.

“The collaboration between ERT and Dimosthenis Karmiris was terminated today, immediately after the morning show.”

Jeoung beat Gionis 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6, 14-12

TV station responds to opening ceremony disgust

A major broadcaster partner of the Tokyo Olympics has been forced to apologise for using “totally inappropriate images” when introducing nations during the opening ceremony.

MBC – a network TV station in Korea – was slammed throughout the curtain raiser to the Games for some of the representations it used on screen as athletes entered the stadium.

It went from being so family friendly to utterly disrespectful.

The Ukrainian athletes being introduced.

Italy entered with an image of a pizza, Norway with salmon. But as athletes from the Ukraine were introduced, an image of Chernobyl appeared on screen.

And things got worse.

According to translations of what was displayed, when Haitian athletes entered the stadium, an on-screen explanation said “the political situation is fogged by the assassination of the president.”

The Republic of the Marshall Islands enters

When Syrian athletes entered, it said “rich underground resources; a civil war that has been going on for 10 years.”

For the Marshall Islands, it said “was once a nuclear test site for the US, and is composed of more than 1,200 islands.”

El Salvador was introduced with a picture representing Bitcoin.

Amid an outpouring of complaints, MBC issued an apology.

“In today’s Opening Ceremony broadcast, inappropriate photos were used when introducing countries like Ukraine and Haiti. Also, inappropriate photos and subtitles were used for other countries. We apologise to the viewers of Ukraine and other countries.”

Screenshots of mBC from opening ceremony

El Salvador was introduced with a picture representing Bitcoin.

Team Haiti entering

Presenters apologised as backlash started

MBC weren’t the only broadcasters to get things wrong.

As team Australia entered the stadium, pundits Canada’s CBC hailed the nation for “having two women carry the flag, Cate the swimmer and Patty the basketball player.”

To which his colleague replied, “yeah, that’s how you do it.”

Originally published as Tokyo Olympics 2021: Hong Kong swimmer described as ‘mixed race’ in South China Morning Post