Zhou Jihong appointed as the head coach of the National Diving Team

On the morning of June 20, the appointment ceremony for the head coach of the national diving team was held at the Training Bureau of the General Administration of Sport of China. After careful consideration by the Swimming Center of the General Administration of Sport, Zhou Jihong was officially appointed as the head coach of the national diving team, with a term spanning from June 2025 to August 2028. From 1998 until her retirement in 2025, Zhou Jihong served as the team leader of the Chinese diving squad. Previously, the Chinese diving team had long operated without a dedicated head coach position.

Zhou Jihong's profile picture

According to the official website of the Chinese Swimming Association, Zhou Jihong has been appointed as the head coach, with the goal of "effectively preparing, training, and competing for the national diving team during the Los Angeles Olympic cycle, driving high-quality development of the diving program, and fully leveraging Comrade Zhou Jihong's professional expertise and leadership skills. This will help further strengthen and elevate the team's competitive edge, uniting and guiding the squad to achieve even greater success in future international competitions, ultimately bringing greater glory to our country and its people."

Comrade Huang Wei, Director and Party Secretary of the Swimming Administration Center under the General Administration of Sport of China, officially announced the decision to appoint Comrade Zhou Jihong as the head coach of the national diving team and presented her with the appointment letter.

As a result, Zhou Jihong will continue contributing to the Diving Dream Team even after her retirement. On March 26 of this year, the General Administration of Sport of China announced on its official website that Zhou Jihong had been relieved of her positions as Director of the Swimming Sports Management Center and Head Coach of the National Diving Team, with retirement procedures being processed according to relevant national regulations. At the recent general meetings held in April for the Chinese Swimming Association and the Chinese Diving Association,Zhou Jihong was re-elected as president of two associations.

In the history of China's diving program, Zhou Jihong is a name that cannot be overlooked. From winning China’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in diving in 1984 to becoming the head coach of the Chinese diving team in 1998—and later leading the squad to countless triumphs on the global and Olympic stages—Zhou Jihong has played a pivotal role in shaping diving’s golden era in China. Under her leadership, the Chinese diving team has produced numerous world and Olympic champions. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Chinese diving team once again made history by clinching all the gold medals in every diving event for the first time in Olympic history.

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