Zhou Jihong
Born in Wuhan, Hubei Province in 1965, Zhou Jihong is China’s first Olympic diving champion. She currently serves as the Head of the China Diving Team, Vice President of FINA (International Swimming Federation), and Director of the National Swimming Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China.
In 1977, Zhou switched from gymnastics to diving and won a national championship within just 4 years. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she claimed the gold medal in the women’s 10m platform event. Due to injury, she retired in 1986 and became a coach for the Hubei Provincial Diving Team. After graduating from Peking University in 1990, she joined the national diving team as a coach. Appointed as the head coach in 1998, she is renowned for her strict leadership. Over more than 20 years at the helm, she has trained dozens of Olympic and world champions, leading the Chinese diving team to nearly sweep gold medals in major events such as the Olympics and World Championships. Her efforts have established the Chinese diving team as a true “Dream Team” and the most stable and contributing force to China’s Olympic medal tally.
Fu Mingxia
Birthplace: Wuhan, Hubei Province
Events: Diving (10m platform, 3m springboard)
Born in Wuhan in 1978, Fu Mingxia became the youngest Olympic diving champion at the age of 14 when she won the women’s 10m platform gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, she made history by sweeping both the platform and springboard golds, achieving the “double crown” in platform and springboard events. Returning to competition after retirement, she won the springboard gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics at the age of 22, becoming the only Chinese diver to win Olympic golds at three consecutive Games. Over her career, she secured a total of 4 Olympic gold medals. In 1991, she set a Guinness World Record as the youngest world champion in diving.
Wang Zongyuan
Born on October 24, 2001, in Xiangcheng District, Xiangyang City, Hubei Province, Wang Zongyuan is an international-level sports master and Chinese men’s diver.
Wang entered the Xiangyang Municipal Sports School at the age of 6 under coach Zhang Yonggang and was selected for the national team at 12. Renowned for his “textbook-level action stability,” his signature move, the 5156B (forward somersault with two-and-a-half twists and bent knees), has been designated as a teaching model by FINA. After the 2024 Paris Olympics, he launched the “Diving into Schools” public welfare program to popularize diving knowledge among teenagers.
Achievements:
Olympic Gold
: Men’s synchronized 3m springboard (with Xie Siyi) at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics; Men’s synchronized 3m springboard (with Long Daoyi) at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
World Championships
: Gold in men’s individual 3m springboard, synchronized 3m springboard, and 1m springboard at the 2022 Budapest World Championships (becoming the first male diver to sweep all three titles in a single edition).
World Cup
: Won the men’s individual 3m springboard at the 2025 Mexico World Cup with a dominant score of 540.15, with all six dives scoring over 80 points.
National Games
: Gold in men’s individual 3m springboard at the 2021 Shaanxi National Games.
