Quan Hongchan, the Olympic diving champion who rose from a rural background to global fame, now faces a different kind of pressure - online harassment.
"Stop bullying me, and stop bullying my family or my friends," the 19-yearold said in a tearful interview with Renwu magazine on March 30, pleading for an end to the abuse that has pushed her to consider retirement.
Quan won gold in the women's 10-meter platform at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at age 14, and won two more golds at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After the Paris Olympics, natural physical changes, including slight weight gain, made her the target of online ridicule. Over the past half year, the cyberbullying escalated, extending to her family and friends. Quan said the experience has left her with "psychological trauma," adding that she has become afraid of scales, mirrors and cameras.
On April 10, police in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province revealed that the attacks were not just isolated incidents but part of an organized campaign. Much of the abuse originated from a private WeChat group called "Splash Conquerors Alliance" with over 200 members.
The group's administrator, a 31-yearold man surnamed Xu, was detained for 10 days and fined. Many of the group's members, including Xu, were obsessive fans-turned-haters because Quan failed to meet their expectations.
The case has stirred widespread concern over toxic fandom in sports. The People's Daily described the phenomenon as "fandomization," in which fan support turns into control, surveillance and abuse. Many netizens have called for stronger regulation, with one warning on Sina Weibo: "The person being bullied online today could be you tomorrow."
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