London, July 25 (ANI): A teenage weightlifter representing Britain at the London Olympics has been targeted by 'ignorant' Internet trolls who say that she looks like a 'bloke' and a 'lesbian'.
Zoe Smith said that she had been subjected to a barrage of abuse since she featured in a BBC documentary.
The 18-year-old - who has a boyfriend - has retaliated by writing a blog about the 'close-minded, ignorant chauvinistic twerps' who criticised her physique.
Smith said that she and her fellow weightlifters 'don't lift weights in order to look hot' for men and 'couldn't give a toss' if it made them more attractive.
"Most of the people that do think like this seem to be chauvinistic, pig-headed blokes who feel emasculated by the fact that we are stronger than them. Simple as that," the Daily Mail quoted her as writing in her blog.
The athlete further said that it was particularly 'sad' to see abuse from girls who labelled her 'weird' for her muscular physique.
"You'd think that young women around the same age as us would commend us," she wrote.
"But apparently we're "weird" for not constantly eating c**p, binge drinking regularly and wearing the shortest, tightest dresses that the high street has to offer," she wrote.
After the programme about the Team GB weightlifters - entitled 'Girl Power: Going For Gold' - was aired on BBC3, Smith received a string of abusive comments on Twitter.
One wrote of Smith and her fellow weightlifters: "You wouldn't marry any of them they're probably lesbians anyway."
When the teenager replied that she wouldn't marry him either, he wrote: "I wouldn't even look at you I'd think you was a bloke and so would 9 out 10 lads," before adding; "p*** off back to the kitchen and make your boyfriend a sandwich he's hungry."
Reporting the exchange on her blog, Smith wrote: "To think people still think like this is laughable. We're in 2012!"
Since then she has been deluged with messages of support for standing up to the bullies.
Her manager, Gab Stone, said he was 'immensely proud' of the way she had handled the situation.
"She is such a level-headed girl that it is sometimes hard to believe she is only 18," he said.
"This sort of abuse is something we take really seriously and I think some other athletes her age would be really affected by it. But I think the way she has responded is absolutely brilliant.
"Zoe is absolutely not the stereotype weightlifter - as well as being very talented and hardworking she's a very pretty girl and incredibly intelligent," he said.
The teenager, from Greenwich in South London, is competing in the 58kg weight category.
A British Olympic Authority spokesman said it would not hesitate to call in the police over online threats to athletes.
"The BOA does not condone abusive behaviour and would not hesitate to involve appropriate law enforcement agencies," the spokesman added. (ANI)
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