He Zi calls it quits at age 26
Print Edition
CHINESE Olympic champion He Zi has reluctantly retired aged 26, citing a nagging foot injury and her joy at expecting to become a mother this year.
He, who won gold in the synchronized 3-meter springboard competition at the 2012 London Olympics, said she had taken an 11-month break after the 2016 Rio Games.
But she said on her Weibo microblogging account that her injury returned recently after a three-hour walk and she could not even step on the floor barefoot after staying home for five days.
“Sometimes when I could not sleep at night I was always thinking about continuing training, but how? (The injury) relapses even when I walk. How can I continue a large amount of diving every day?” she wrote.
“Don’t ask me why I choose to leave this early under such good condition, or whether I would regret or feel pity, my only regret is that I have not fully demonstrated my value.”
The diver earned a silver medal in Rio, but the moment is best remembered by the marriage proposal made by fellow Olympic medalist Qin Kai, also a diver, who got down on one knee just after she stepped off the podium.
“I have fought for this diving career for 20 years and I should start fighting for my own small family from now on. Last year I was an athlete but this year I am a wife and going to be a mother,” He wrote on Weibo.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
