China teen diving prodigy nearly retired after 'reaching mental limit'

The 19-year-old won gold at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 when she was just 14. She won two more golds in Paris in 2024. Now one of China's most popular athletes, crowds have descended on the teenager's hometown in rural Guangdong province and mobbed her at hotels. A tearful Quan said she started her periods after the Paris Games, which caused her to gain weight even when only "eating a little". "After the Olympics I actually thought about retiring," she told the Chinese magazine Renwu in an interview published Monday.