Daily Mail thinks Olympic divers should celebrate wins with a ‘manly pat on the back’
The Mail has questioned why British divers hug each other after winning Olympic medals rather than settling for a “manly pat on the back”.
So far the UK has taken two diving medals at the Olympics: Daniel Goodfellow and out diver Tom Daley took the bronze in the synchronised 10m platform event, while Jack Laugher and Chris Mears yesterday took the gold in the synchronised 3m springboard.
But rather than focussing on the historic win from the young Olympians, last night the Mail was upset because Britain was represented by two men who had a cuddle after winning a medal.
MailOnline ran the story with a picture comparing a jubilant Mears and Laugher to two Chinese athletes, with the headline “Steady on chaps Britain’s victorious synchronised divers hug for joy after winning gold – while China’s bronze medalists settle for a manly pat on the back”.
The piece made a number of innuendos about the pair – who have both posed for gay magazines in the past and have a large gay fanbase, joking about their “ever-so-slightly more conservative Chinese rivals”.
Even the newspaper’s notorious comment section seemed to be shocked by the homophobic innuendo in the piece.
One of the top comments read: “They can celebrate however the hell they like! If I win an Olympic medal I would be cartwheeling naked round the pool.”
One of the lowest rated said: “Men should only shake hands.”
After complaints, the website re-drafted the story, and it now carries a conspicuously gay-inclusive headline.
The piece now reads: “The British diver is so hot!!!’ Gold medal hearthrob sends women AND men into meltdown after stunning show in Rio”.
