In a high-profile case highlighting China’s crackdown on online harassment targeting elite athletes, Guangdong provincial police have penalized a 31-year-old man for sustained cyber abuse against Olympic gold medal-winning diver Quan Hongchan, authorities announced Friday.
According to an official statement from the Yuexiu District Branch of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, the suspect, surnamed Xu, is a diving enthusiast who repeatedly posted derogatory, defamatory remarks targeting Quan in a WeChat chat group that he founded. The abusive content generated widespread negative repercussions for the athlete, prompting law enforcement action. Following a formal investigation, Xu was sentenced to 10 days of administrative detention and issued a financial fine. Additional group members who engaged in similar harassing behavior also received legal penalties proportional to their actions, the statement confirmed.
The case emerged earlier this week after Quan’s training facility, the Guangdong Ersha Sports Training Center, filed an official police complaint on Wednesday. The center emphasized that Quan, who has earned significant national honor through her international athletic achievements, had been subjected to “unwarranted public pressure and severe psychological harm” as a result of the ongoing online attacks.
Hours after the complaint was filed, the Swimming Management Center under China’s General Administration of Sport announced it was collaborating with local sports and law enforcement authorities to fully investigate the incident, issuing a clear pledge of zero tolerance for all forms of cyberbullying targeting athletes.
Friday’s police statement reinforced a core message: the internet is not a lawless space, and Chinese authorities are committed to upholding the legal rights and personal well-being of all citizens, including public-facing athletes. Law enforcement will continue to take strict, decisive action against individuals who engage in online insult or harassment, holding all violators accountable under the law, the statement added.
Public concern over Quan’s well-being surged in recent weeks following a candid media interview, where the 19-year-old Paris Olympic champion opened up about the intense mental toll of persistent public scrutiny. Quan revealed that fluctuations in her competitive weight and ongoing invasive public commentary pushed her to consider retiring from the sport prematurely. The prolonged stress of the harassment triggered chronic insomnia and recurring nightmares, including frequent dreams of falling from the diving platform, she shared.