Paris Olympics fans go wild as Chinese star Luo Shifang SLEEPS her way to a gold medal

Keeping your cool and not wasting energy is a big part of being an Olympic champion, but Chinese athlete Luo Shifang has taken that to dramatic extremes in Paris. 

The weightlifter broke three Olympic records to take gold in the women’s 59kg weightlifting, with her 134kg clean and jerk, 107kg in the snatch and 241kg total seeing her make history.

But it was her conduct between lifts that had fans talking.

Shifang had the wild eyes of a tiger and the tense frame of an Olympic champion when she was lifting at the South Paris Arena.

However when she was patiently waiting her turn, Shifang brought out a pink blanket and pillow and enjoyed some shuteye until she had to compete again. 

The Chinese star was seen seeming to take a nap between lifts as she took gold – and she even brought a blanket and pillow with her

‘I’ve finally found my Olympic sport,’ a Reddit user posted with the image of the Chinese athlete napping.

‘Just imagine what you would need to do to get through the trials to represent your country in this sleeping event. I think teenagers might meet the criteria,’ suggested another.

 ‘I’m willing to bet, someone will start the competition now and end up waking in 2028, winning both in both Olympics in one go,’ posted another. 

Luo, who made her Olympic debut in Paris, showed steel-like intensity to succeed in every lift except for one, delivering a hush gesture to those in the crowd who were cheering against her.

‘This is my first Olympic Games and my team has been very good to me. They provided me with a really good environment, and I didn’t feel too much pressure,’ said Luo. 

Ukrainian Olympic gold medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh also took the relaxed approach during the high jump final

Shifang is not the only Olympic athlete to have stunned audiences with their calm demeanour in Paris.

Ukrainian Olympic gold medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh brought a sleeping bag with her to Stade de France, resting up between jumps to the amusement of viewers.

‘I feel comfortable when I lay and sometimes I can watch the clouds,’ Mahuchikh said after winning gold. 

‘Sometimes I can count numbers, 1,2,3,4, or breathe in, breathe out. It’s like, relax, [and] not think about that I’m at [the] stadium.’