An Olympic swimmer just schooled China on periods

When China's favourite swimmer Fu Yuanhui said her period held her back during the Olympic final of the women's 4x100 metre medley relay race, she not only broke one of sporting's great taboos, but apparently also educated many Chinese people.

According to Quartz, the 20-year-old's comments about her menstrual cycle made many in China realise, for the first time, that swimming on your period is perfectly hygenic and safe.

Yuanhui is famous for her over-the-top facial expressions and sense of humour and has a huge following in China. Her catchphrase 'mystic energy' has become a meme, and after her interview on Sunday she became a trending topic on Weibo, the Chinese social network.

One blogger wrote: “[Menstruation] is an unspeakable issue in the public for women, but Fu actually talked about it in a live interview with CCTV. That’s exactly her personality. Cool!”.

Some Weibo users asked why there was no blood in the pool, and later found out that it's made possible by using a tampon.

The country's first domestic tampon brand is launching this month, having never been popular before. In 2015, Chinese manufacturers made 85 billion sanitary pads - but no tampons.

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