Guo Jingjing

Infobox diver
divername= Guo Jingjing


imagesize=200px
caption=
fullname= Guo Jingjing
country= China
formercountry=
birthdate= birth date and age|mf=yes|1981|10|15
birthplace= Baoding, Hebei, China
hometown=
residence= Beijing
training=
deathdate=
deathplace=
height= 5'4"
event= 3m springboard,
3m synchro
level=
natlteam=
club=
collegeteam=
partner= Wu Minxia
formerpartner= Fu Mingxia
headcoach= Zhou Jihong
assistcoach=
formercoach=
retired=
medaltemplates=

Guo Jingjing (zh-cp|c=郭晶晶|p=Guō Jīngjīng born October 15, 1981) is a female diver from the People's Republic of China and is considered to be the most successful woman diver in Olympic history.Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/diving/7565650.stm|title= Guo may dive on after record gold|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=August 19|publisher=BBC|year=2008|author=BBC]

Career

Born in Baoding, Hebei province, on October 15, 1981, Guo took up diving when she was six years old at the Baoding Training Base. She started training in competitive diving in 1988, and was selected to dive for the Chinese national team in 1992. Guo first competed at the Olympics in 1996. Her coach leading up to the 2008 Olympics was Zhong Shaozhen.

During the 2004 Summer Olympics Guo earned a gold medal in the 3 meter women's synchronized springboard along with Wu Minxia, before winning her first individual Olympic gold in the 3 meter women's springboard.Cite web|url=http://www2.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-08/15/content_365579.htm|title=After 8 years, Guo finally makes it in Olympics|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=August 19|publisher=China Daily|year=2004|author=Xinjua]

After the Athens Olympics, Guo became a Chinese national sports figure in the public eye, with a contract with McDonald's, as well as multiple other endorsement contracts. She was later banned by the national team for excessive commercial activities, but was later accepted back to the team when she agreed to focus on diving and give up many promotional activities.Cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=china/part2|title=Hanging by a Thread|accessdate=2008-02-28|publisher=ESPN|author=ESPN|year=2007|format=html] Guo is the leading member of the Chinese national women's diving team, and is known in China as "The Princess of Diving". Guo announced on November 23, 2006, that she would retire following the 2008 Olympic Games.Cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200611/26/eng20061126_325224.html|title=Asian Games-bound diver Guo Jingjing to retire after 2008 Olympics|author=Xinhua|accessdate=2008-02-28|publisher=People's Daily|year=2006|format=html]

Guo won two more gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At the end of the Beijing Games, Guo became the most decorated female Olympic diverCite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-08/19/content_6948208.htm|title=Talkin' 'bout our generations of divers|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=August 19|publisher=China Daily|year=2008|author=Lei Lei] , and tied fellow Chinese athlete Fu Mingxia, and American Greg Louganis with the most gold medals (four).Cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/tsnstory.html?id=6458788|title=China's Guo claims gold, Olympic diving record|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=August 19|publisher=Canwest Publishing Inc.|year=2008|author=Canwest Publishing Inc..]

2008 Olympics

Guo Jingjing won the gold medal in the women's 3-meter springboard with a total of 415.35 points. The silver medal was awarded to Yuliya Pakhalina of Russia, whose score was 398.60, followed by Wu Minxia of China with 389.85 for the bronze medal.Cite web|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/diving/news/newsid=227453.html#guo+golden+again|title=Guo golden again|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=August 19|publisher=NBC|year=2008|author=Associated Press]

In synchronized diving, the defending champions Guo, and Wu, who won the event in the 2004 Athens Olympics and three World Championships, had lead the entire competition in Beijing, winning the gold medal, with Yuliya Pakhalina and Anastasia Pozdnyakova of Russia, who posted 323.61, winning Silver.Cite web|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/diving/news/newsid=190819.html#chinas+beloved+guo+adds+legacy|title=China's beloved Guo adds to legacy|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=August 19|publisher=NBC|author=Alan Paul] Cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=5549926|title=China Wins 1st Diving Medal at Beijing Olympics|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=August 19|publisher=ABC News|year=2008|author=Beth Harris for the Associated Press]

Personal life

Guo's social activities after the Athens Olympics were the subject of scrutiny in Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong media news outlets.Cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/16/content_425558.htm|title=Diving prince Tian Liang's new fling revealed in hot kiss|accessdate=2008-02-28|publisher=China Daily|year=2005|author=Echo Shan|format=htm] Guo made entertainment headlines in China when the paparazzi published a photograph of her dining with Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, the grandson of the late Hong Kong business tycoon Henry Fok. Guo did not deny the relationship, and has been photographed many times with Kenneth Fok in public.Cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article3295429.ece|title=Diving princess Guo Jingjing enters love’s troubled waters|accessdate=2008-02-28|author=Flora Bagenal|publisher=Times Online|year=2008|format=ece]

Guo suffers from health problems due to diving such as poor eye sight, along with numerous other divers on her team. [ Demick, Barbara. [http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-fg-hardship26-2008aug26,0,2347697.story China's gold medals came at a high price] . August 26, 2008.]

Major achievements

*1995 World Cup – 1st Synchronized Platform & 3m Synchronized Springboard
*1996 Olympic Games – 5th Platform
*1998 World Championships – 2nd 3m Springboard
*1999 World Cup – 1st 3m Synchronized Springboard; 3rd 3m Springboard
*2000 World Cup – 1st 3m Springboard; 2nd 3m Synchronized Springboard
*2000 Olympic Games – 2nd 3m Springboard & Synchronized Springboard
*2001 World Championships – 1st 3m Springboard & Synchronized Springboard
*2002 World Cup – 1st 1m & 3m Springboard; 2nd 3m Synchronized Springboard
*2002 Asian Games – 1st 3m Springboard & Synchronized Springboard
*2003 FINA Diving Grand Prix (Australia/China) – 1st 3m Springboard & Synchronized Springboard
*2003 World Championships – 1st 3m Springboard & Synchronized Springboard
*2004 World Cup – 1st 3m Synchronized Springboard; 2nd 3m Springboard
*2004 Olympic Games – 1st 3m Springboard & Synchronized Springboard
*2005 World Championships – 1st 3m Springboard & Synchronized Springboard
*2006 Asian Games – 1st 3m Synchronized Springboard
*2007 World Championships – 1st 3m Springboard & Synchronized Springboard
*2008 Olympic Games 1st Women's 3m Synchronised Springboard
*2008 Olympic Games 1st Women's 3m Springboard

References

External links

* [http://www.nbcolympics.com/diving/news/index.html 2008 Beijing Olympics] Diving News, images, and scores from NBC.
* [http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1819129_1819134_1825697,00.html "Guo Jingjing"] , number 9 on "Time"’s list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch"