Written by Liu Luojia
The clock in the training hallpoints to 8 PM, and Quan Hongchan’s gray T-shirt is already soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her noticeably slim back. The word “tired” on her phone screen simply cannot convey the hardships this 16-year-old Olympic champion has endured.
In the diving hall of the Ersha Training Center in Guangdong Province, Quan Hongchan races against time every day. When she completes her last set of dry land trampoline training, droplets of sweat from her hair form a small puddle on the training mat.“My waist is about to break”—she once mumbled as she collapsed on the ground, but now she can complete 8 pull-ups in a row.
CCTV News mentioned her name 10 times in August, from the AI infringement incident to the preview of the National Games, this reticent girl from Zhanjiang has consistently occupied the media spotlight.
01 Watered by Sweat, Reborn
High-intensity training is a daily requirement for her.6 hours of special training, 90 minutes of dry land trampoline, 120 minutes of pool technique refinement, and 45 minutes of core strength circuits—these numbers form the backbone of Quan Hongchan’s daily training.
Her training outfit shows obvious wrinkles at the shoulders due to muscle growth, and a screenshot of her mistakes from the Paris Olympics is posted on her locker, with a handwritten note below:“The 207C must be perfect”.
Her body fat percentage has dropped from18% to 16.5%, muscle mass has increased by 3%, and the waist of her competition suit has been reduced by 3 centimeters. These tedious numbers hide countless moments of sweat-soaked clothing.
02 Development Challenges, Tough Trials
Diving queen Gao Min once stated:“Female athletes in their developmental phase walk a tightrope”. Quan Hongchan’s height has increased from 1.43 meters to 1.53 meters over the past year, and her weight has increased by 8 pounds.
This means that when she performs the207C dive, the pressure on her knees increases by 30%. The once stunning 207C dive has slowed its rotation speed by 0.3 seconds, and her score has plummeted from 95 points at the Tokyo Olympics to 60 points.
Coach Chen Ruolin employs“persuasive management”: rewards of strawberry cake for meeting training standards, but only allowed to take one bite; mobile game time is linked to body fat percentage. This is the cruel yet gentle wisdom behind the challenges of development.
03 AI Controversy, Innocently Affected
Recently, criminals have usedAI technology to impersonate Quan Hongchan’s voice to sell free-range eggs. In the video, the fake “Quan Hongchan” says: “I am Quan Hongchan, your Chan sister, today I want to ask everyone for help, I want to help my mom sell more eggs”.
These fake videos led to over 40,000 free-range eggs being sold, and unsuspecting netizens placed orders, only to later find quality issues and blame Quan Hongchan for not being strict with her product selection.
Quan Hongchan’s brother angrily stated in a live broadcast:“My sister trains every day, how can she sell eggs? I can’t even win a lawsuit!” This is the helplessness and anger brought about by the misuse of technology.
04 CCTV Support, Warm Protection
CCTV News mentioned Quan Hongchan 10 times within a month, from congratulating her on the anniversary of her successful defense at the Paris Olympics on August 6, to exposing the AI impersonation incident, and previewing the National Games events.
Anchor Kang Hui praised her on “News Broadcast”:“Quan Hongchan, ‘full marks’ raises ‘China Red’!” This is the firm support from a national media outlet for young athletes.
CCTV also edited footage of Quan Hongchan alongside Zhang Guimei and astronaut Liu Yang, presenting her as an outstanding representative of Chinese female strength. This recognition transcends the realm of sports and becomes a cultural symbol.
05 Return to the Arena, Future to Look Forward To
The schedule for the diving events of the 10th National Games has been confirmed to take place from November 2 to 11 at the Guangdong Provincial Olympic Sports Center. Quan Hongchan will compete in the women’s individual 10-meter platform and may partner with Chen Yuxi for the synchronized events.
Her207C dive has returned to a score of 8.5, and her control of the splash for the 107B is even better than during the Paris cycle. These technical advancements are the best proof of her sweat and tears.
“The younger generation is lovely and should not be feared, the future is visible and promising”—Kang Hui’s words seem to be the most powerful response to all doubts.
The countdown clock in the training hall shows“86 days remaining”. Quan Hongchan’s schedule marks “daily morning 6 AM physical training”.
When the last rainstorm caused a power outage in the training hall, she completed her evening flexibility training with a flashlight. Now her 207C dive has returned to 8.5 points, and her pull-ups have improved from 2 to 8.
The diving dream of the girl from Zhanjiang has never faded due to setbacks.