Tokyo Olympics: family of Chinese diving star turns down free property and US$30,000 in cash rewards
- Quan Hongchan thoroughly dominated the Tokyo Games in her first-ever international competition
- Reports of her humble upbringing led to nationwide empathy for the new star
The family of Quan Hongchan, the Chinese gold-medal-winning Olympic diver, are suddenly finding themselves refusing gifts and cash from across the country after the general public learned about the teenager’s humble background.
Now, as the Chinese public finds out about her background, they are rushing to send gifts, make generous offers and transform her village into a tourist location. The girl’s mother is ill following a serious car accident in 2017 and they survive on the meagre salary of her orange-farming father.
Local media reported that Quan’s home village of Maihe, in Guangdong province, has become an social media hotspot after her stunning performance in the 10m platform diving final in Tokyo last week.
Vloggers and fans have flocked to this little-known village and created a big headache for Quan’s family and neighbours along the way. The crowds have interrupted the town’s daily routine and hindered epidemic control efforts as China fights its biggest Covid-19 battle since last year.
