Few can contest Quan Hongchan on the diving platform. At just 17, she has become China’s diving darling, whose supremacy transcends her age. Quan has amassed five world championships and, following her unrivalled spectacle in Paris, is now a three-time Olympic gold medallist.
Even among China’s acclaimed diving cadre, who captured all but one gold in the 2016 and 2020 Games, Quan is on a level all her own. Her masterclass on the 10-metre platform speaks for itself, but the dictionary did not do her justice, so a new Mandarin phrase was created to illustrate Quan’s magic. So here’s everything you need to know about “ shuihua xiaoshi shu ”– literally “water splash disappearance technique” – a Chinese term that refers to her ability to plunge into the pool with minimal splash.
Born into the modest 3,000-person village of Maihe – in Zhangjiang city, Guangdong province – Quan was the third of five children. Growing up in a family of orange farmers and factory workers, Quan’s youth was laden with hardship after a car accident left her mother in poor health. In July 2014, Quan was spotted by diving coach Chen Huaming, who was undergoing regular scouting expeditions at local schools.
Chen noticed her spectacular jumping technique and became her first diving instructor. By September, she was officially admitted to the Zhanjiang Sports School. “He said that I was tiny and swift, but able to jump higher and longer than the others.
At that time, I was 1.20m ta.