Gold medallist China’s Quan Hongchan poses during the podium ceremony after the women's 10m platform diving final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Aug 6, 2024. Quan’s hometown has been overrun by intensely adoring fans, leading her mother to fear for her safety upon her return from Paris. — AFP
BEIJING: A gold medalist diver’s mother said she was afraid for her daughter to come home after their hometown was swarmed with her supporters. A champion swimmer whose hotel was staked out by admirers disbanded his official fan group and told an interviewer he would rather have performed worse if it meant he would be left alone.
Other athletes have been hounded by crowds at airports or been the subjects of vicious arguments online between rival fan camps, leading Chinese official media to denounce fans for being “visibly aggressive”. Police have even detained at least two people for allegedly defaming athletes.
