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Top 10 Interesting Facts about Guo Jingjing

She was born on October 15, 1981, in Baoding, Hebei province in China. She was known for being China’s ‘princess of diving’ who competed in not one but four consecutive summer Olympic games.

She won gold medals in the 3-meter springboard events in 2004. She did the same in 2008. Her partner in both events was Wu Minixia. She had many accomplishments in world diving championships which elevated her status as the most decorated diver in the history of the sport.

At the young age of seven years old, she was discovered by Yu Fen( a diving coach. She went to live at the sports school where Yu Fen coached, who was rapidly under her mentor’s guidance.

She made her debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games, she finished fifth but she made it clear that she had talent even at a young age. She had an undefinable flair for her sport and that made her something special.

1. All Eyes On Her

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She was one of the top favorites to win gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she impressed the crowd with how she was able to defy gravity.

She exploded off the springboard and her body perfectly aligned herself before she cut through the water’s surface.

This earned her gold medals in both the 3-meter springboard and the synchronized 3-meter springboard. In 2008, she was named one of the 20 Best Female Athletes.

2. Early Retirement.

After her successful win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she retired from competitive diving. This was officially confirmed in 2011 when she couldn’t 2012 Summer Olympics.

In fact, she was quoted as saying these few words, “I think I have fulfilled my task, so the London Games is not what I have in mind now. The chances should be left to other talents in the team”.

After which she appeared in commercial advertisements and gossip magazines. She was often pursued by the Chinese paparazzi.

3. Interesting Relationships

She is known to be an outgoing and very social person. She pursued a relationship with Tian Liang, a Chinese diver. 

She got married to Kenneth Fok Kai-kong on November 8, 2012. On August 27, 2013, she gave birth to a baby boy. On April 21 2017 she gave birth to a baby girl and another baby girl on January 1, 2019.

Overall, she was naturally outgoing and friendly just as much as she was protective of her privacy, which of course led to clashes with the press.

4. Life-Changing Injuries

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Her history of diving caused damage to her knees, her retina, and her myopia. In September 2008, Guo had to undergo surgery to repair the retina on both her eyes.

The surgery was undertaken by an ophthalmologist in Hong Kong. In 2001, she underwent surgery on her right eye but spent a few months before she went back to diving.

5. International Achievements

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She won multiple awards for example in the 1995 World Cup she came 1st in the synchronized and 3m synchronized springboard but this was only the beginning of her success she had multiple awards from 1995 to 2009.

In most of the competitions, she was either 1st or 2nd and all the competitions were either world championships or Asian games. Either they all brought her fame and a career with a bright future.

In 2016, she and her husband Kenneth Fok participated in The Amazing Race China 3, based on CBS’s travel-reality program of the same name. After completing ten Olympic-themed legs, they emerged as the winning team of the season.

6. She has a High Demand

Large companies wanted her to be the face of their sportswear which was sold at the high price of 119,000 yuan at a charity auction. She was then rated the third richest Chinese athlete in 2008 earning fifteen million yuan.

7. Community Charities

Guo Jingjing plays an active role in the local community and frequently participates in charity and public welfare initiatives. She seeks improvement the livelihood and safety of other women and children. In fact, she was at a charity event in Hong Kong for the United Nations Children Fund.

8. The shocking 4 Million Dollar Surrender Demand

She was pushed to surrender nearly 4 million dollars she had earned from her endorsements which was a shock and her hard-earned cash through practice and winning gold medals.

Tian Liang, a fellow Olympic gold medalist who was offered the same deal as Guo, declined to pay back the money to the government and was excluded from the Olympic games. 

9.  Contract with McDonald’s

After the 2004 Summer Olympics, Guo became a Chinese national sports figure, 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 accepted back to the team when she agreed to focus on diving and give up many promotional activities.

10. Her Married Life

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Guo’s social activities after the Athens Olympics were the subject of scrutiny in Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong media news outlets.

Guo made entertainment headlines in China when the paparazzi published a photograph of her dining with Kenneth Fok Kai-kong.

He is the grandson of the former Vice Chairman Henry Fok of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Guo did not deny the relationship and has been photographed many times with Kenneth Fok in public.

The couple married in Hong Kong on November 8, 2012. On August 27, 2013, Guo gave birth to a baby boy. Second baby girl on April 21, 2017, and the third baby daughter on January 1, 2019.

Therefore, Guo is a family person. Her achievements in sports did not stop her from being a responsible mother and wife. However, she has to retire from being an active sports member to settle as a wife.

It is important to note that Guo Jingjing’s achievements included world championships in Springboard and Synchronized Springboard between 1995 to 2009 where she held the first position winning various Gold Medals.

The sport gained her fame across the globe and hence, the reason for her to retire after 10 years of success in the world of athletics.