BBC Sparks Ire Over Viral “Gundam” Olympics Tweet

As the Olympics continue in Tokyo this summer, all eyes are on the event to see which athletes come home with the medals of their dreams. Of course, this means outlets all over the world are covering the event, and some of their pieces have caught the attention of netizens. And now, it seems like the BBC is up to bat thanks to their now-viral Gundam post.

Or rather, we should say Transformers post. It seems the British network got its signals crossed on social media when it comes to mechs. Gundam and Transformers aren’t the same things, so fans are making that very clear over on Twitter.

As you can see above, the whole issue began when the BBC posted a photo of an athlete participating in a rock climbing event, and their run goes easily enough. However, there is a massive Gundam statue lurking in the back, and the BBC went on to call the figure a Transformer online. After realizing the issue, BBC Sport did issue a follow-up asking whether a Gundam or Transformer would win at an Olympic challenge, and the comments section is going off.

As you can see in the slides below, fans are not only dismayed by the mix-up, but they are going to war over the BBC’s hypothetical. When it comes to a Gundam or Transformer winning, it all comes down to the event being held. It also matters which mech is being used, and if a person is piloting the Gundam, they better be proficient at the sport. The debate has yet to find a clear winner, but the two fandoms have found solace in trolling the BBC about the swap. So if an actual Transformer pops up during the Tokyo Games, BBC Sport will know what to say.

What do you think of this Gundam swap? Which of these mech franchises is your favorite? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

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