Zhou Jihong, her name is like a flag of the Chinese diving team, composing her legend on this stage.
Her life experience carries the ups and downs of her athlete career and team leadership responsibilities, and has achieved the glorious history of the Chinese diving team.
In 1983, Zhou Jihong unexpectedly won the gold medal in the World Cup diving, which was the beginning of her athlete career. Then, at the Los Angeles Olympics, she once again won honor for her country and became the first Olympic champion in the history of Chinese diving.
This moment is not only her personal glory, but also an important step for the Chinese diving team to step towards the international stage. In 1994, Zhou Jihong became the first Chinese athlete to be inducted into the FINA Hall of Fame, and her name was officially engraved in the hall of world diving history. However, success in life often comes with twists and turns.
In 1998, the Chinese diving team suffered a historic defeat in the World Swimming Championships, which was an unprecedented challenge. However, a leader emerged from the crisis, and Zhou Jihong rose from an ordinary coach to become the leader of the Chinese diving team. Instead of shying away from the predicament, she stepped forward and redefined the future of the team with unwavering willpower.
In 2000, the Sydney Olympics became a new peak for the Chinese diving team. The team led by Zhou Jihong won 5 gold medals, which is not only the glory of the team under her leadership, but also a symbol of the rise of the Chinese diving team. During this period, the Chinese diving team began to emerge on the world stage, and Zhou Jihong became the soul of this team.
Zhou Jihong's success lies not only in her personal career as an athlete, but also in her outstanding talent as a team leader. Her leadership style is rigorous and passionate, and her determination and decisiveness make a difference in the team's crunch moments. In terms of managing athletes, she is not afraid of fame and takes decisive action against violators, such as expelling athlete Tian Liang.
At the same time, she also showed her trust in new talents, such as the 14-year-old Quan Hongchan at the Tokyo Olympics, whose unique vision and courage laid the groundwork for the future of the Chinese diving team.
Over the past 25 years, Zhou Jihong has adhered to the leadership position of the Chinese diving team and created brilliant moments. She not only led the team to win 38 Olympic gold medals, but also broke the record of 100 world championships and 100 gold medals, becoming the world leader in diving. Her leadership is not only about winning championships, but also about how she develops athletes.
She emphasized the need to pay attention to the accumulation of knowledge while training hard, and this requirement for comprehensive quality has laid the foundation for the continued success of the Chinese diving team. However, behind success there is always sweat and persistence. In terms of managing athletes, Zhou Jihong is strict, she is not used to famous athletes, but values the overall performance of the team.
She has a unique vision, not only discovering a talent like Guo Jingjing, but also daring to take risks at critical moments, such as letting 14-year-old Quan Hongchan compete at the Tokyo Olympics, a decision that proves her trust in the team and confidence in her own judgment.
Now, 58-year-old Zhou Jihong is still at the forefront of China's diving career. With Paris 2024 just around the corner, this will be her last trip before retiring.
This diving warrior, who has led the Chinese team from the trough to the peak, is about to usher in the final climax of her career. This is not only a farewell battle for athletes, but also coaches and leaders, and a milestone in the history of the Chinese diving team.
Zhou Jihong's story tells us that no matter how difficult and challenging we face, as long as we have determination and perseverance, we can always open up a new world. She not only won the competition for the Chinese diving team, but also won respect and honor. Her legendary life is the pride of Chinese sports and a role model for a generation.
Therefore, when we see the Chinese diving team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, no matter what the results are, we should be proud of them and proud to have a team leader like Zhou Jihong.
This is not only a victory in a game, but also the best tribute to an era and a legend. I wish Zhou Jihong another brilliant victory in her last Olympic Games, and let's look forward to seeing if this legend of Chinese diving can lead the Chinese team to make history again.