Born: 1965 (Wuhan, China)
Biography:
Zhou Jihong (simplified Chinese: 周继红; traditional Chinese: 周繼紅; pinyin: Zhōu Jìhóng, born 11 January 1965) is a Chinese diver who won the first gold medal for Chinese diving.
Born in Wuhan in 1965, Zhou initially started her athletic career in gymnastics before transitioning to diving. In 1977, she joined the Hubei diving team and began her professional diving training. Zhou’s talent and dedication quickly propelled her to success, and in 1981, she won the national championship. The following year, she joined the Chinese women’s diving team, marking the beginning of her illustrious international career.
Zhou’s most notable achievement came in 1984 during the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Due to an injury suffered by fellow diver Lü Wei, Zhou stepped in and competed in the women’s 10-metre platform event. Displaying incredible skill and grace, she secured a total score of 435.51 points, earning her the gold medal. Zhou’s victory marked a historic moment for Chinese diving, as she became the first Chinese diver to win a gold medal in the Olympics.
Following her triumph, Zhou’s influence on the Chinese diving team continued to grow. In 1998, she assumed the role of team leader, guiding and inspiring a new generation of divers. Under her leadership, athletes such as Fu Mingxia and Guo Jingjing achieved remarkable success at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where they won gold and silver medals in the women’s 3-metre springboard event.
In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the Chinese diving team enjoyed unprecedented success, taking home a total of 6 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal. Zhou’s strategic leadership and expertise played a crucial role in the team’s outstanding performance. Four years later, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Zhou once again led the Chinese diving team to victory, securing an incredible 7 gold medals.
Zhou’s contributions to the sport extended beyond the pool. In recognition of her exceptional achievements, she was appointed Chairman of the Athlete Committee by FINA (International Swimming Federation) in March 2014. In November 2017, she served as the Chairman of the Chinese Swimming Association. Zhou’s dedication to promoting and advancing swimming and diving in China led to her appointment as a member of the Chinese Olympic Committee in January 2019 and as the Chairman of China Diving Association in January 2020.
Zhou’s influence within the international swimming community continued to grow. In a historic moment, she was elected Vice President of FINA at the FINA Congress held in Doha, Qatar, on 5 June 2021. This achievement marked the first time a woman had held the position of Vice President in the organization’s history.
Awards:
– Gold medal in the women’s 10-metre platform diving event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
– Best athlete of the year in women’s platform diving awarded by magazine Swimming World in 1984
Personal life:
In 1986, Zhou temporarily retired from diving to complete her studies in English at Peking University. She resumed her involvement in the sport after graduating in 1990 and took up the role of coach for the Chinese National Diving Team.
In 1992, Zhou married Tian Bingyi, a former Chinese badminton player and current coach of the Chinese national badminton team. They welcomed their son in 1994.
Controversy:
In May 2022, New Zealand diving judge Lisa Wright revealed an alleged incident involving Zhou during the 2020 Summer Olympics. Wright claimed that Zhou verbally attacked her after the men’s 10-metre platform final, accusing her of unfairly scoring Chinese divers. Diving New Zealand filed a complaint with FINA’s Ethics Panel regarding the incident.
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