Twice Defeated by Quan Hongchan, Chen Yuxi Breaks Down: “After Paris, I Wanted to Run Away from the 10-Meter Platform”

On October 30, Olympic diving champion Chen Yuxi appeared on CCTV’s Sports Close-Up, where she broke into tears while recalling her emotional journey.

In the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Chen partnered with Zhang Jiaqi to claim gold in the women’s synchronized 10m platform, but in the individual event, she was outshone by her then-14-year-old teammate, Quan Hongchan.
Three years later, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, history repeated itself — Chen once again stood on top of the podium in synchronized diving but narrowly missed gold in the individual event, finishing second behind the same rival.

During the interview, Chen confessed through tears:

“After the Paris Olympics, I honestly never thought I’d stand on the 10-meter platform again. The pressure… the emotions at that time… to be honest, I wanted to escape.”

At her lowest point, coach Zhou Jihong gave her strength and faith to carry on. With that support, Chen fought through her doubts, trained harder than ever, and ultimately triumphed — winning the World Championship gold medal in the women’s 10m platform.

From being recruited into the national team at age 13 to winning three gold medals at the 2025 World Championships, Chen’s story is one of resilience, dedication, and quiet strength.
After the Singapore World Championships, she returned to Shanghai to prepare for the upcoming National Games, focusing on every tiny detail in her dives.
In the same training hall, Olympic legend Wu Minxia now coaches the youth diving team — a beautiful moment of two generations sharing one dream, passing on China’s golden legacy in diving.