She's a double Olympic champion and hot favourite to do the double again to join Fu Mingxia as one of China's sporting greats, but diving diva Guo Jingjing has had some unflattering attention.
It reached a head at the Water Cube at a test event in February when she was beaten in her favoured 3m individual springboard by synchronised partner Wu Minxia. But defeat to Wu - who is no easy pushover and will pounce on any slip-up at the real thing - was the least of her worries.
After she restricted herself to grunts and monosyllables at a press conference, Xinhua went on the attack, portraying her as the Britney Spears of the diving world - arrogant, dismissive and nonsensical. It may sound a strange way of treating a star athlete, but dressing-room insiders have long been aware of her frosty nature.
'Guo is a little distant from the others. While it's not rare for other Chinese to joke around with international athletes, she always looks serious,' said Christin Steuer, a German platform specialist. 'That might not be good for her nerves.'
Yu Fen, a retired national team coach and Guo's mentor from the age of 11, tries to make some sense of the controversies surrounding her former charge. 'On the one hand, the fact Guo remains the star attraction puts her under extraordinary media scrutiny. On the other, people think she is a princess - spoiled by pampering coaches and team officials,' said Yu. 'It seems she is a bit disoriented by being sandwiched in between.'
The diving team's success has been a key factor in China's Olympic success. Of the 112 gold medals collected at the past six Games, the divers have contributed 20 - the biggest source of glory.