British athlete Alex Yee is facing criticism for his ‘unacceptable’ celebration after a recent victory.
26-year-old Yee recently clinched the men’s triathlon gold at the Olympics on July 31, and has continued his winning streak.
Despite the immense pressure of such a significant event, Yee participated in the supertri event in Boston on August 18, securing first place again.
In both the Olympics and the Boston event, he narrowly defeated New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde, who appeared visibly displeased with Yee’s celebratory actions yesterday.
As they neared the finish line and it became evident that Yee had secured first place, the British athlete crossed his arms over his chest and ran towards the camera, capturing his triumphant expression.
Hot on his heels, Wilde saw the celebration, clearly not pleased with it.
Wilde, also 26, reacted to Yee’s unusual arm-crossing gesture by throwing up his arms in disbelief and glaring at Yee.
Online reactions mirrored Wilde’s displeasure, with one individual calling Yee’s celebration ‘totally unacceptable’.
“No wonder the guy in second has the hump. Zero class. Absolute tool,” another person commented.
“Massively disrespectful,” said a third, while someone else remarked: “That sort of behavior is not on, it ruins the sportsmanship and why we all watch. We need more respect in sport.”
Conversely, others praised his celebration as ‘cold’, and some felt there was nothing wrong with Yee’s reaction.
“It’s an excellent celebration,” one person asserted.
“I have no issues with that,” another wrote. “British sportspeople are so often the plucky loser. Happy for a bit of arrogance in a winner for a change.”
Drawing comparisons to similar celebrations in soccer, a sports fan noted: “Can celebrate a win however he wants? Seen that celebration loads of times in football. What’s the difference?”
A representative for Yee has been contacted for comment amid the backlash.
Following his gold medal win in Paris, Yee spoke to Olympics.com, expressing his surprise at his achievement.
“It was just one of those magic moments where you hear about these Olympic moments and people finding extra stuff within themselves,” he said. “It was just one of those where I just decided that I was going to give myself one last chance just to do it.
“If I did that, then I gave myself a shot. And if I come 10th, that’s fine. If I come last, that’s fine. I guess it went beyond my wildest dreams.”