Guo Jingjing dives into retirement
Diving queen Guo Jingjing has decided to retire, ending speculation about her future and the possibility of her competing at next year's Olympic Games in London.
Zhou Jihong, head of the China diving team, said in a CCTV interview that Guo (pictured), 29, was preparing papers for her retirement.
'We had some discussions last September and November on whether she would resume her training and her future plans,' Zhou said. 'She made it clear she would not participate in training and competitions any more, and she is no longer a member of the national team.
'We feel sorry about her decision as we have been working together for more than 10 years and she has made a special contribution to diving in China. We do not want to see her leave [the national team] and I know she misses the team, but in the end she has to make her own choice.'
Zhou also revealed that Guo had been studying English to prepare for her new life after sport.
Guo made headlines in 2005 when paparazzi photographed her dining with Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, grandson of late business tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung and son of Hong Kong Olympic Committee president Timothy Fok Tsun-ting.
Timothy Fok refused to comment on Guo's retirement last night, saying only: 'All athletes have to retire one day. This is normal and there is nothing to feel sorry about.'
Guo has not competed since she won the three-metre synchronised springboard along with Wu Minxia at the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong. She was rumoured to have participated in the event only because of her relationship with Fok.
Zhou's comments came after an interview with Guo in a mainland magazine in which she said she had no plans to compete in London.
'No matter how many more Olympic medals I can win, it will not be as exciting as the first one I won at the 2004 Athens Games,' she was quoted as saying.
At the 2008 Beijing Games, Guo became the most-decorated female Olympic diver, tying fellow Chinese athlete Fu Mingxia, and Americans Pat McCormick and Greg Louganis on the most number of Olympic gold medals - four.
She first represented China at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, aged 14.
