Girls or men, the beauty of women should not be simply defined.

On August 1st, Gong Lixiao won the women’s shot put in Tokyo Olympic Games, which was the first gold medal of China track and field team in this Olympic Games. After the game, CCTV reporters said in an interview with Gong Lixiao that "Gong Lixiao left me the image of a woman man", and even in the interview, they asked "What are the plans for the girl’s life next?" "What about the boyfriend?" "I think he may not be able to beat you in wrist wrestling", and the interview in just a few minutes caused a heated discussion.

In the interview, the reporter seems to set the female man against the girl, but isn’t the female man also a girl? Is it only the "white, thin and young" wrapped by traditional aesthetics that is the beauty of women? Of course not. The beauty of women is not single, let alone defined by traditional aesthetic values. Gong Lixiao, as a shot putter, may not be thin, but it doesn’t mean that she is not beautiful, that she doesn’t have the right to love beauty, and that she can’t belittle the feminine beauty in her body at will. Gong Lixiao’s self-confidence, persistence and persistent pursuit of dreams shine on her, which is the strength of women and the beauty of a healthy and confident woman.

In an interview in 2015, Gong Lixiao said, "This year is the 15th year for me to practice shot put. After all, we are girls, especially when we go out, we will pay more attention to our image. But when many people see us at ordinary times, they all say’ Look at this big fat man’. Some of them don’t know us and think we are not in good shape. " Although this sentence is slightly bitter, Gong Lixiao said it with a smile. It’s not that they don’t love beauty and don’t want to be the so-called "girls" in the traditional sense. Gong Lixiao once lost 30 Jin, but her performance declined seriously because of the weight loss. In order to keep her grades, she began to gain weight, and she kept her weight only to get better grades.

After this Olympic shot put final, when asked whether she would retire, she said, "I will keep practicing until I can’t, as long as my country needs it." Gong Lixiao, 32, who has participated in four Olympic Games, touched us. We have seen divers with beautiful nails painted on the springboard of Tokyo Water Sports Center, sprinters with red hair flying in the track and field, and women’s volleyball players who were stabbed with pink hair on the court. They are female athletes and girls. They show the world the unique strength and speed of women. They confidently radiate the light and beauty of women.

"What about the boyfriend?" This is not exclusive to Gong Lixiao, but a question that many female athletes will be asked. When Yang Qian was interviewed after winning the championship twice, he was asked many times about choosing a spouse. The three-person women’s basketball team made history and won the bronze medal. Yang Shuyu, born in 2002, could not escape being questioned about the criteria of mate selection. Is the "end point" and focus of girls’ lives marriage? Of course not. Girls’ lives should not only be about love and marriage. Women also have glory and dreams, and also have the right and strength to keep fighting. Their lives should not be held hostage by looks, marriage and family. They belong to themselves, and they also have unique life values, which is the true beauty of women.

We expect the public’s eyes to stop focusing on their private lives and pay more attention to their achievements and strength: Yang Qian not only has nails and hair clips, but also the strength of world champions; Yang Shuyu is not only handsome, but also has super ability; Guo Jingjing is not only a rich daughter-in-law, but also a diving queen. The strength of these women is enough for them to stand side by side with men, and they also shine, which is the light of women and the beauty of women.

Nowadays, the beauty of women is no longer limited to the beauty of appearance under the traditional aesthetic of "Lin Daiyu style", and the strength of women is rising. Women are playing their important roles in all walks of life and becoming an indispensable part of society. Not only female athletes, every girl has the right to love beauty and the freedom to pursue beauty, but the beauty they pursue is diverse and beauty should not be defined by a single standard. Girls should not be confined to traditional aesthetics. The beauty of women can’t be denied because of their appearance. The beauty of women can’t be judged and examined by anyone. The beauty of women can only be defined by themselves.

We long for the beauty of women to be no longer solidified by a single criterion. We hope that more people will accept the diverse beauty of women. We call on the society to give more tolerance and love to women and let girls shine.

Text/Shen Yanqi (Hunan Normal University)