- Born:
- October 15, 1981, Baoding, Hebei province, China (age 45)
- Awards And Honors:
- Olympic Games
Guo Jingjing
-
Who is Guo Jingjing?
Guo Jingjing, born on October 15, 1981, is a former Chinese diver. She is one of the most decorated divers in the sport's history.
Guo competed in four consecutive Summer Olympic Games. In 2004 and 2008, she won gold medals in the 3-meter springboard and synchronized 3-meter springboard (with partner Wu Minxia) events. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she won silver medals in the 3-meter springboard and 3-meter synchronized events.
Training for up to seven hours a day, she won multiple golds at the world championships in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009, along with her two golds at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Guo retired from competitive diving in 2011.
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What sport does Guo Jingjing compete in?
Guo Jingjing is a former diver from China. Throughout her career, she competed in four Summer Olympic Games, winning gold medals in the 3-meter springboard and synchronized 3-meter springboard events in both 2004 and 2008. Because of these accomplishments, in addition to her multiple victories in world diving championships, she is one of the most decorated divers in the history of diving.
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In which Olympic Games did Guo Jingjing participate?
Guo Jingjing, a Chinese diver, participated in four Summer Olympic Games. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she won silver medals in both the 3-meter springboard and 3-meter synchronized events. At the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Guo won gold medals in the 3-meter springboard and synchronized 3-meter springboard (with partner Wu Minxia) events. Guo Jingjing also won gold in both the 3-meter springboard and the synchronized 3-meter springboard at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She retired from competitive diving in 2011.
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What are some of her most famous achievements in diving?
Guo Jingjing is one of the most decorated divers in the history of the sport. She competed in four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, and she won gold medals in the 3-meter springboard and synchronized 3-meter springboard (with partner Wu Minxia) events in 2004 and repeating the feat in 2008 (again partnered with Wu on the synchronized event). Under coach Zhou, she won double golds at the world championships in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009, to go along with her two golds at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. She also won silver medals in both the 3-meter springboard and 3-meter synchronized events at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
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How did Guo Jingjing influence the sport of diving in China?
Guo Jingjing is one of diving's most decorated athletes. Guo's success includes multiple world diving championships and gold medals in the 3-meter springboard and synchronized 3-meter springboard at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.
Guo's career began at age 7 when she was discovered by diving coach Yu Fen. At 14, she joined China's Olympic team, debuting at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Under coach Zhou Jihong, Guo won double golds at the world championships in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009, along with two golds at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she won gold in both the 3-meter springboard and the synchronized 3-meter springboard.
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What did Guo Jingjing do after retiring from competitive diving?
After retiring from competitive diving in 2011, Guo Jingjing, already a huge celebrity in China because of her accomplishments at the Olympics, appeared in commercial advertisements and TV reality shows such as The Amazing Race China (2016) and Infinity and Beyond 2022 (2022). Guo, who faced intense media attention, was often mentioned in gossip magazines and pursued by paparazzi. In 2012, she married Kenneth Fok, a Hong Kong businessman, and they have three children. Guo Jingjing is one of the most decorated divers in the history of the sport, winning gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Guo Jingjing (born October 15, 1981, Baoding, Hebei province, China) is a former diver from China who competed in four consecutive Summer Olympic Games, winning gold medals in the 3-meter springboard and synchronized 3-meter springboard (with partner Wu Minxia) events in 2004 and repeating the feat in 2008 (again partnered with Wu on the synchronized event). Those accomplishments, coupled with her multiple victories in world diving championships, made her one of the most decorated diversāmale or femaleāin the history of the sport.
Early life
Guo grew up in Baoding, China, a city located about 90 miles (140 km) south of Beijing. At age 7 she was ādiscoveredā at her elementary school by diving coach Yu Fen, who had risen to prominence coaching Olympic champion Fu Mingxia. Guo, who went to live at the sports school where Yu coached, progressed rapidly under her mentorās guidance. At age 14 she was selected for Chinaās Olympic team and made her international debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games. She finished fifth, but it was clear that the teenager had the talent, the willingness to work hard, and a certain, undefinable flair for her sport that made her something special.
Olympic success
- 3-meter springboard: 2 gold (2004 and 2008), 1 silver (2000)
- synchronized 3-meter springboard: 2 gold (2004 and 2008), 1 silver (2000)
Yu retired after the Atlanta Games, and Guo transferred to coach Zhou Jihong, who had become Chinaās first Olympic diving champion, in 1984. Under Zhou, she won silver medals in both the 3-meter springboard and 3-meter synchronized events at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Training for five to seven hours a day, she won double golds at the world championships in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009, to go along with her two golds at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
Guo was one of the top favorites to win gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She had not lost a major international event, either individual or synchronized, on the 3-meter springboard since 2001, and she did not disappoint the home crowd. Standing 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 meters) and weighing just 108 pounds (49 kg), Guo exploded off the springboard, twisting and tumbling in the air in a way that seemingly defied gravity; then, with her body perfectly aligned, she cut through the waterās surface, producing barely a sound or a ripple as she entered. In the end she again walked away with the gold in both the 3-meter springboard and the synchronized 3-meter springboard. In 2011 Guo retired from competitive diving.
Later activities and personal life
A huge celebrity in her native land, Guo appeared in commercial advertisements and was a contestant on the TV reality shows The Amazing Race China (2016) and Infinity and Beyond 2022 (2022). She was frequently mentioned in gossip magazines and was often pursued by Chinese paparazzi. Her dating relationships, such as one with another top Chinese diver, Tian Liang, drew particularly intenseāand unwelcomeāattention from the press. Although Guo was naturally outgoing and friendly, she was also fiercely protective of her privacy, which, on occasion, led to clashes with the press. In 2012 she married Kenneth Fok, a wealthy Hong Kong businessman. The couple has three children.