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Guo Jingjing Pregnant, Leaving the National Team?

Tuesday, 13th May 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (2)

UPDATE: There seems to be no truth in the rumor below. As of late May, Guo is competing with the diving team.

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In a bombshell for the Chinese diving team, one of China's biggest sports stars, two-time gold medal-winning diver Guo Jingjing, is pregnant and leaving the national team, according to some Chinese media reports. Here is the translation of a story from NetEase:

"During recent routine physical examinations of China's national swimming and diving team, Guo Jingjing was discovered to be pregnant. After consecutive nights of emergency meetings by relevant officials it was decided that the individual is most important and the athlete's personal choice would be respected; it was agreed that Guo Jingjing would leave the team.

"A reporter that ran into Hong Kong Olympic Committee Chairman Huo Zhenting asked about matters relating to Guo Jingjing's pregnancy. Huo laughed without answering him, finally saying one sentence: 'We respect the decisions of children. '" [That is not a mis-translation or a typo, but likely a jab at Guo, who has been criticized by officials and the media for enjoying her fame too much and being short with the press.]

Guo is the highest paid female athlete in China and the most recognizable female face of Team China in any sport. She has endorsements with McDonald's and Coca-Cola, to name just a couple. Ask a Chinese person on the street who their favorite Chinese athletes are, and you will hear her name.
Guo Jingjing and Kenneth Fok (霍启刚)
Guo Jingjing and Kenneth Fok (霍启刚)

In addition to her diving performance, her love life has been closely followed by fans. During the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she was dating Tian Liang, who won a bronze that year. She has most recently been connected with Kenneth Fok (Huo Qigang, or 霍启刚), grandson of a Hong Kong tycoon. And she has been criticized by media for not being dedicated enough to the team, and for not being accommodating to the media.

Update, noon on 5.14: More Chinese sites continue to report on the pregnancy rumor, some suggesting that it's just a publicity stunt. The entertainment page of Mop.com is all over the story, with lots of photos and the headline: "The empress of diving is pregnant? When will Guo Jingjing marry into the wealthy and influential clan?" Finally, a CCTV segment from yesterday features a team spokesperson denying the rumor. There are still no reports in English, and no confirmation from the state-run media.

Images: tupianz.com, yhnews.com

Tags: diving, guo jingjing, Olympics

Comments

  • T.
    Wednesday, 14th May 2008
    Um, is there ANY corresponding link or proof of this story other than your post?
  • Maggie
    Wednesday, 14th May 2008
    T,

    At the time we posted, the story that we link to in the post was the only one out there. There are now several more reports in Chinese, all of which are probably just feeding off that first one. There is still nothing in English.

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