On July 29th, at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, defending champion Angelina Köhler from Germany failed to retain her title in the 100m butterfly final, and even missed out on a medal. Prior to competing in Singapore, Köhler expressed concerns about potential backlash from Chinese sports enthusiasts, as she had criticized Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei during the 2024 Olympics in Doha, becoming a target for attacks.
In an interview with the South German Newspaper on July 25th, Köhler said, “I am very worried that I will be booed there,” adding, “There will be many Chinese spectators in Singapore, and I don’t know if I will be manipulated by a few. But I hope that the majority can still remain fair.” Köhler described the experience as a “bitter aftertaste.”
During the 2024 Olympics, Köhler finished fourth in the 100m butterfly final and criticized controversial Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei in an interview. Emotionally charged, she questioned Zhang’s previous history of using performance-enhancing drugs, as Zhang took the bronze medal from her. Köhler told reporters, “I support clean sports.”
Zhang Yufei was one of 23 swimmers in China who tested positive for the banned substance “Tuaminoheptane” before the Tokyo Olympics in early 2021 but was not suspended. At the time, the Chinese side claimed the positive test was due to food contamination in the athletes’ hotel. Following an investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), this explanation was accepted.
This incident sparked intense debates, with American swimmers Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky criticizing the leniency of the testing system before the Paris Olympics. The “Doping Editorial Team” of the German Public Broadcasting Corporation ARD conducted a two-year independent investigation and found suspicions of widespread doping among Chinese athletes, with WADA failing to take appropriate action. The CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) called it a backstabbing of clean athletes.
Köhler revealed to the South German Newspaper that she received hate emails from Chinese sports fans following her public criticism of Zhang Yufei at the Paris Olympics. “Hundreds of emails containing all sorts of things: Nazi images, Hitler salutes. They said I was a Nazi, a racist, a drug-using pig. It is disgusting.” The 24-year-old swimmer said, “They really messed me up.” All of this led to her developing “persecution delusions.”
Despite her gratitude for her psychological guidance in overcoming many mental obstacles, Köhler still struggles with her “persecution delusions,” stating, “I haven’t overcome it, it still haunts me.” She shared, “It has become my burden,” adding that she reduced her social media activities after the Paris Olympics and the subsequent vicious attacks.
Köhler expressed a desire to completely give up social media, which she finds impossible. She acknowledged the additional burden of having to be an influential figure as an athlete. She emphasized her intent to continue expressing her views, saying, “I cannot and will not be intimidated.”
Köhler clarified that she “is not questioning Zhang Yufei’s medals but has been consistently criticizing the system. When someone strives for fair sports competition and then is bombarded with messages of hatred, the world is definitely in trouble,” she told the South German Newspaper.
During the competition in Singapore, the scenario Köhler feared did not materialize. She received applause from the audience when she waved to them. However, her performance in the competition was subpar, ultimately placing sixth. Her coach and psychological advisor are working to lift her spirits.
Coach Lasse Frank later told the media, “After the Olympics, she experienced a lot of unpleasant things on social media, which should not happen in the sports world. She suffered immensely because she is a very emotional person. We managed these crucial moments well, and she will grow rapidly from them.”
This weekend, Köhler will also participate in the 50m butterfly event. Coach Frank told German media that even if she may not succeed, Köhler understands that there are more important things beyond winning medals. “She is here for values such as equality, fairness, and all the good things that sports should represent.”