The Chinese Gymnastics Association said on Saturday that some fans had “started and spread false rumors” and thereby “stirred up negative emotions on the Internet and insulted or slandered athletes, coaches and officials.”

This behavior has caused “serious damage” to the work, lives and families of those affected and “disturbed and damaged the tradition of unity and patriotism of the Chinese gymnastics team,” the association said in a statement.

It was neither stated who the posts were addressed to nor were any details about their content given.

The Chinese Table Tennis Association issued a similar statement, saying some comments had had an “extremely negative impact” on athletes, coaches and society.

“The chaos in ‘fan circles’ has massively disrupted the normal training and competition of the Chinese table tennis team,” it said, again without saying what it was referring to.

“Our association will collect evidence and hold accountable any organisation or individual who insults, slanders or maliciously attacks the Chinese table tennis team or its members online or in public places.”

02:09

China’s swimming star Pan Zhanle dissolves official fan club amid toxic fan culture

China’s swimming star Pan Zhanle dissolves official fan club amid toxic fan culture

The Chinese team took first place in Paris with 40 gold medals, tied with the USA, ahead of Japan with 20 and Australia with 18.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, the games, which ended a week ago, also saw “illegal” behavior by fans.

The ministry said there were two cases of “negative information about table tennis players and coaches on social media” during the Olympics.

It was said that the behavior had a “harmful impact on society” and that criminal proceedings would be initiated against those involved.

Three other people were given “administrative penalties” for publishing material questioning an unnamed Chinese Olympic champion and for “publicly insulting gymnasts” on social media.

The ministry did not disclose which laws were broken, but changes to the criminal code that came into force in 2021 stipulate that it is a crime to damage the reputation and honor of heroes and martyrs.

02:07

Quan Hongchan’s hometown becomes a tourist hotspot after her success at the Olympic Games in Paris

Quan Hongchan’s hometown becomes a tourist hotspot after her success at the Olympic Games in Paris

Pan’s record-breaking performance in Paris, as well as his instrumental role in ending the United States’ 64-year dominance in the men’s 4x100m individual medley, earned him a huge online following.

But Pan said, according to state broadcaster CCTV, that he wanted to “remain inconspicuous and enjoy his peace and quiet.”

These measures are in line with Beijing’s campaign in recent years to “clean up” online content and restrict online fan bases, particularly those related to celebrities.

In 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator, listed ten areas where fan communities need to make improvements.

The CAC called on local authorities to abolish all forms of celebrity rankings and tighten supervision of celebrity marketing agencies.