Photo: Screenshot from Chinese ecommerce platfrom Taobao

As the popularity of Chinese Olympic shooter Yang Qian continues to grow after she won China its first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the yellow duck hairpin that she wore during the competition has also become a hot commodity on ecommerce platforms.

The news that the 21-year-old Chinese athlete bagged her first gold medal during the women's 10-meter air rifle competition on Saturday has made her a rising sports star. 

Yang Qian wins Tokyo Olympics first gold medal Photo:Cui Meng/GT

As the country celebrated the honor, many Chinese netizens remarked that this world champion who showed incredible perseverance in the match is in fact an "adorable young girl" who enjoys sporting a cute cartoon hairpin and a carrot wristband.

"This yellow duck is my lucky charm," Yang revealed in an interview with Migu News on Wednesday. 

The hair band, which costs about three yuan (40 cents), quickly became a trending item on Chinese ecommerce platforms after her gold medal win Saturday.

"Searches for the keywords 'little yellow duck hairpin' tripled on Saturday from a week before and our customers also searched 18 times more for 'carrot wristband," said a staffer fromJDcom, one of the biggest ecommerce platforms in China.

"This little thing I think is more like a spiritual symbol of Olympic athletes. If I wear the same thing as our champion, I'm showing my support toward our country and the honor of winning the first gold medal," said one buyer on social media.

One online shop owner who sells the same style of duck hairpins on Taobao told the Global Times that his shop sold more than 10,000 duck hairpins in just five minutes on Wednesday, raising his monthly sales to more than 30,000 - a huge increase from the 3,000 to 4,000 normally sold in a month.  

The product is now the best selling item in his shop. 

"Do you think I'd become an Olympic champion if I wear it? Will I be able to get into Tsinghua University if I buy that?" many buyers joked in the review section of the online shop.

A third-year student at Tsinghua University, Yang and her teammate Yang Haoran won a ninth gold medal for China - Yang Qian's second - at the Tokyo Olympic Games during the 10-meter Air Pistol Mixed Team on Tuesday.

"She is strong mentally to always be that calm. She's talented in shooting. I believe Yang has a promising future over the next few decades as she still has a lot of potential," Liu Jianhong, a CCTV sport commentator, said on Tuesday.