BEIJING (AFP): Police in southern China detained a 31-year-old man accused of repeatedly insulting an athlete online, identified by Chinese state media as triple Olympic diving champion Quan Hongchan.
Quan recently revealed in a tearful interview that she had considered retiring after intense scrutiny over her weight.
The 19-year-old, who won gold at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 when she was just 14 before winning two more golds in Paris in 2024, has become one of China's most popular athletes.
Police in the Yuexiu district of Guangzhou city said in a statement on Friday that a 31-year-old man surnamed Xu had "repeatedly made insulting remarks about an athlete from the Ersha Sport Training Centre" in a group chat on the messaging platform WeChat, which had "caused a bad influence".
Police had detained Xu for 10 days and fined him, while "lawfully dealing with the other relevant individuals in the group".
The police statement did not identify Quan by name, but state media reported the case relates to the diver who is known to swim at the Ersha Sport Training Centre.
Chinese authorities have been grappling with what state media has called "toxic fandom" surrounding its sports stars.
It includes fans obsessing over athletes' personal lives and cyberbullying opponents, often via online groups on social media.
After Quan's interview in March, the country's sports authorities vowed to investigate, while Quan's swimming club said it had reported the case to the police.
Quan told the Chinese magazine Renwu that her period had started after the Paris Games, which she said caused her to gain weight even when only "eating a little".
"After the Olympics, I actually thought about retiring," she said.
Quan said that she had been asked repeatedly about her weight.
"During that time, not just within the team but also in public opinion outside, I saw people every day saying I was fat." -- AFP
