The error on the flag was first seen during the award ceremonies for Du Li (L) winning silver and Yi Siling (R) for bronze at the 10m Air Rifle on Aug. 6, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Rio Olympic Committee is trying to get replacement Chinese national flags due to complaints from Chinese citizens that an incorrect version was being used at medal ceremonies at the second day of Olympic Games.
The erring flag was first seen raised at the awards ceremony for Du Li and Yi Siling, who won silver and bronze in the women's 10-meter air rifle event respectively, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday.
Chinese viewers noted that the flag featured four small stars that were placed incorrect positions.
"Instead of being parallel to each other, the four smaller stars should be rotated so that they point toward the center of the larger star," Cui Yongyuan, a former host of the China's state broadcaster CCTV, wrote on Sina Weibo on Wednesday.
Cui urged the Chinese delegation to have the correct flags delivered to Rio as soon as possible.
"I am not trying to be picky because of obsessive compulsive disorder, but this is the national flag," he added.
Earlier media reports claimed the flags used in the Rio Games were made by a textile company based in east China's Zhejiang Province. However, the Chinese consulate in Rio refuted the claims on Monday, saying the incorrect flags came from a firm outside of mainland China.
A spokesperson for the Olympic organizing committee said all national flags used in the Games were approved by the national Olympic committees and that it was working with China to resolve the issue.
China has six medals so far at the Games. It bagged its first gold medal at the second day of the 2016 Olympics with first-time Olympian Zhang Mengxue's win at the women's 10-meter air pistol event.
There are 306 Olympic medal events, with China's 416-strong athlete delegation competing in 210 events over 26 sports. According to a committee spokesperson, events with a competing Chinese team would generally have a flag as backup.
