Although vaulting made its Olympic debut at the 1904 Games in St. John’s, S. Louis, Missouri, only two countries competed in the game that year: Germany and the United States. China did not participate in diving at the Olympics until 1984. Since then, the country has triumphed, winning 55 gold medals, more than any other country in history.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, China won 8 gold medals in diving, consolidating its position as a leading country in the history of this sport. This result matches their performance at the last Tokyo Olympics, where they won seven out of 8. In comparison, at the Tokyo Games, China won twelve medals in diving, while Great Britain came in second with three. At the Paris Games, China won 11 diving medals, with Great Britain rounding out second place with five.
The United States ranks second in diving gold medals at the Olympics, with a total of 49 in the history of the Games. Since 2000, China has won 46 of the 56 Olympic gold medals in diving. So what makes China so dominant? In this sport? Let’s take a look.
China’s dominance in diving can be attributed to its pursuit of perfection, its long hours of exercise (sometimes seven days a week), and its early initiation into the sport. Chinese divers exercise in and out of the pool, with some starting as young as five years old. For example, children as young as five can start diving at the Shanghai Yangpu District Youth Sports School.
According to an article published in the National Library of Medicine, Chinese children’s sports schools were influenced by “the Soviet style of sports progression and evolved within the framework of military sports. ” These institutions focus on improving children’s sports skills while finding potential long-term champions. Many of China’s most productive athletes come from those schools.
In addition, China has introduced a national fitness plan for 2021-2025, which includes several goals, such as “increasing the number of fitness facilities and services nationwide, the point of clinical fitness guidance services, and selling high-quality products. “progression of the sports industry”, among other objectives.
In general, sports and fitness are becoming increasingly popular in China. Their good luck at the Paris Games, where they tied with the United States for the maximum number of gold medals with a total of 40 each, further underscores this trend.
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 6: Chen Yuxi, silver medalist from the People’s Republic of China, poses with Array. [ ] her medal after the medal rite of the women’s 10m platform final, on day 11 of the Olympic Games of Swimming Paris 2024 Center on August 6, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
At the Tokyo Games, Chinese Olympic jumper Chen Yuxi commented on her training:
“We don’t have a lot of smart educational techniques. It’s more a matter of dip after dip and practice makes perfect. “
Yuxi made her Olympic debut in Tokyo at the age of 15, where she won gold in the synchronized 10-meter platform occasion and silver in the 10-meter platform occasion. At the Paris Olympics, she repeated those results, winning gold in the synchronized 10-meter. platform and silver in the 10-meter platform, this time at 18 years old.
British jumper Noah Williams, a silver medallist in the synchronized 10m and bronze medallist in the 10m at the Paris Olympics, commented on China’s dominance after their bronze medal. Said:
“In diving, one hundred percent, China gets the respect it deserves. I think if you ask anyone, they will know that China is the best.
He later added:
“And then when diving, what makes them different? I have no idea. I think they work out and are bigger than everyone else.
A community. Many voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our network aims to connect other people through open and thoughtful conversations. We need our readers to share their perspectives and exchange ideas and facts in one space.
To do this, please comply with the posting regulations in our site’s terms of use. We summarize some of those key regulations below. In short, civilized.
Your message will be rejected if we notice that it appears to contain:
User accounts will be locked if we become aware that users are engaging in:
So how can you be a user?
Thank you for reading our Community Guidelines. Read the full list of publishing regulations discovered in our site’s terms of use.