Social media is abuzz with videos of 17-year-old Quan Hongchan’s perfect dives, earning her two gold medals at the 2024 Olympics.
Social networks are buzzing again with news about Chinese diver Quan Hongchan, who wowed the crowd at the Fina Diving World Cup, leaving them in endless awe. As the youngest competitor at just 17 years old, Quan secured two gold medals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, including a clean sweep on August 6, earning a perfect 10 according to the South China Morning Post.
Video footage of her exceptional dives at the 2023 Diving World Cup in Montreal has been widely recirculated. The 10-meter-high diving was her event, during which she stepped to the edge and then jumped off, executing a somersault that lasted about half a second before she rotated one more time and entered the water. "She scored a total of 425.60 points and ranked first for four out of the five dives, with only her third-round dive ranking second among the 12 finalists," stated the Olympics Paris 2024 website after the competition.
Her rival, 18-year-old Chen Yuxi, scored 420.70 points, seven points fewer than Quan. Mi Rae from North Korea scored 372.10 points and got third place. Since Quan's latest gold medal win and perfect score, a video of her from last year's World Cup—she was barely 16 at that time. She performed a pretty good jump while the water was glistening underneath. Sitting on the upper-level gallery, a fan pointed a smartphone camera at the pool and then at the scoreboard and thanks to this, the video ended up on several social media platforms, one of them being @womenpostingws.
The tweet was posted with the following words: "17-year-old Chinese diver, Quan Hongchan, wins gold with a dive so flawless the water doesn't even splash, scoring a perfect 10/10 from a panel of all 7 judges" The video shows Quan doing a back three-and-a-half somersault tuck in the final round of the women's ten-meter platform event.
17-year-old Chinese diver, Quan Hongchan, wins gold with a dive so flawless the water doesn't even splash, scoring a perfect 10/10 from a panel of all 7 judges
— Women Posting W's (@womenpostingws) August 6, 2024
pic.twitter.com/4RrW6chZLR
Her performance was nearly flawless, with several 10s and one 9.5, earning her a top score of 367.00. China, represented by Chen Yuxi, came second with a score of 342.90, and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, from Great Britain, stood third with a score of 287.40, per Unilad.
The video has brought viewers together, who repeatedly admire the breathtaking dive made by her and shared their joy in the comments. "Perfection is in their blood," said @bhadana. "Incredible performance, Quan Hongchan! Your talent and precision are awe-inspiring. Congratulations on the gold!" added @marketing7878. "This girl is exceptional and deserves major respect," added @anakhalifaaa.
to be able to do this at 17 years old in the olympics is so insanee i never even knew you could dive without a splash 😭😭
— 🥀𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖞🥀 (@saylesssavage) August 6, 2024
Her ability is completely in another level. Most of the time, her lowest score is higher than most other athletes’ highest scores, which is insane….
— Clover Lavender (@AyoolaMatthee) August 6, 2024
Speaking of the Olympics, Lydia Jacoby surprised everyone, including herself, by winning gold in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics. Hailing from Seward, Alaska, the 17-year-old trained in her small town's pool, though locals love to joke she swam with whales and sea lions. Judy Odhner, co-owner of Zudy’s Cafe, said, “They can’t believe our teeny town has a pool." A video of Jacoby’s friends and family cheering her went viral on the internet, showing the strong support she has at home. Her victory has put Seward, a town of 2,800, on the map, with cruise ship passengers greeted by "Go Lydia" stickers. Jacoby’s win may lead to new investments in local facilities, including a new swimming pool, inspiring future generations.