After winning gold with three perfect scores in the women's 10-meter diving on Thursday, the 14-year-old girl, Quan Hongchan, has won the nation's heart with her innocent and honest talks at news conferences. When asked about what was her secret, she replied, "I don't know. Some people say my splash (水花) into the water is even smaller than the splash they make when they throw a dumpling into a pot. I don't know and I never compare them. I just dived every day. Each day, I needed to practise about seven hours, and some days I did for 10 hours."
Quan was born and raised in a poor village in Zhanjiang City. When she was still in primary school, Chen Huaming, the diving coach at Zhanjiang Sports School, noticed that Quan jumped much higher than the other kids. After giving her a try on a diving board, he instantly knew he had discovered a true talent.
Chen suggested to the youngster that diving could be the answer to her family's financial problems. Quan immediately made up her mind to become the best in the sport. Her mom was sick then. She really wanted to make money to help her receive better treatment.
