U.S. tennis star Taylor Townsend wasn’t ready for a number of the meals she can be supplied whereas participating within the Billie Jean King Cup Finals event in Shenzen, China.
She apparently was additionally not anticipating the backlash she confronted after she posted her criticism of a number of the native dishes — which included bullfrogs, turtles, sea cucumbers and, in her phrases, “an animal lung” that was “sliced up” and on a skewer — on Instagram.
These posts have since been eliminated, and Townsend has posted a video on her Instagram Story through which the world’s top-ranked doubles participant apologizes “sincerely from the underside of my coronary heart.”
“I perceive that I’m so privileged as knowledgeable athlete to have the ability to journey all all over the world and expertise cultural variations, which is without doubt one of the issues that I really like a lot about what I do,” Townsend stated.
“I’ve had nothing however essentially the most superb expertise and time right here … and everybody has been so type and so gracious. And the issues that I stated weren’t consultant of that in any respect.”
The 29-year-old Townsend’s title was within the headlines throughout final month’s U.S. Open. After Taylor defeated Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko within the second spherical of the singles competitors, the gamers appeared to have a heated dialogue.
Afterward, Townsend informed reporters that Ostapenko “informed me I’ve no schooling, no class.”
Ostapenko later apologized on her Instagram Story and defined that English isn’t her native language. “So once I stated schooling,” Ostapenko wrote, “I used to be talking solely about what I consider [is] tennis etiquette, however I perceive how the phrases I used might have offended many individuals past the tennis courtroom.”
Townsend is one in every of six gamers representing the U.S. within the worldwide staff event in Shenzen. Earlier this week, she posted video of a number of the meals she and her teammates had been supplied, apparently as a part of a buffet. She additionally added a video of herself from later within the night through which she criticized a number of the choices.
“I’m truthfully simply so shocked I like what I noticed within the dinner buffet … These individuals are actually killing frogs. Bull frogs. Aren’t these toxic? Like, aren’t these those that be providing you with warts and boils and stuff?” Townsend stated. “And turtles? And the truth that, like, it’s all stewed up with, like, chilies and peppers and onions and like, ‘Oh, you actually made this a dish?’
“And you then obtained the ocean cucumbers simply staring there, like with the noodles, the one factor that we eat. So all in all, gotta give this like a strong 2 out of 10 thus far, as a result of that is loopy.”
One portion of the video, which confirmed parts of the buffet unfold, featured the caption, “That is the craziest factor I’ve ever seen … and individuals are consuming this,” adopted by emojis of a melting face and a face screaming in concern.
The feedback went viral on Chinese language social media, with many commenters slamming Townsend as culturally insensitive.
Townsend’s apology comes because the U.S. prepares to face Kazakhstan on Thursday within the quarterfinals.
“I simply really needed to apologize,” Townsend stated within the new video. “There’s no excuse, there’s no phrases, and for me, I simply — I can be higher.”
