Chen Yuxi's sudden tears in the diving competition at the Paris Olympics sparked heated discussions about the "gold medal-only theory" in China's sports circles.
In an interview after the race, the young diving star admitted that he was under a lot of pressure and lost control of his emotions during the match.
This scene reminds people of Liu Xiang's regretful retirement from the Beijing Olympics 16 years ago, and the experience of the two generations of athletes is like a mirror, reflecting the deep-seated problems in the development of China's competitive sports.
As the leader of the new generation of the Chinese diving team, Chen Yuxi shoulders the heavy responsibility of continuing the glory of China's diving kingdom.
On the stage of the Paris Olympics, she showed a completely different side.
When the camera focuses on her, what we see is no longer the confident and shocking "little devil", but an ordinary girl with tears in her eyes and fragile emotions.
This scene is reminiscent of the scene when Liu Xiang retired from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
At that time, as the hopeful star of Chinese track and field, Liu Xiang was under unimaginable pressure.
In the end, he had to withdraw from the tournament with a sad regret, which broke the hearts of countless Chinese viewers who were expecting him to defend his title.
Now, 16 years have passed, and we seem to see the shadow of that era in Chen Yuxi again.
Some netizens expressed their opinions on this: "Seeing Chen Yuxi crying, my heart is about to break."
She was still so young and had to carry such heavy expectations.
Are we being too demanding of our athletes?
They are also ordinary people, and they will also be stressed and nervous.
We should give them more understanding and support, instead of blindly chasing gold medals.
The physical and mental health of athletes is the most important thing, after all, they give so much for their country.
I hope that everyone can empathize and give more tolerance and encouragement to athletes.
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Although the diving competition of the Paris Olympics has not yet begun, Chen Yuxi's performance has attracted widespread attention from the outside world.
As a new force in the Chinese diving team, her emotional state will undoubtedly affect the morale of the entire team.
Behind this, we have to think: what kind of pressure can make a well-trained top athlete collapse on the field?
Someone pointed the finger at Zhou Jihong, the head coach of the Chinese diving team.
As a legend in the Chinese diving world, Zhou Jihong's training methods have been controversial.
Some praise her strict requirements for creating generations of diving champions, while others question whether her "ruthless operation" is too harsh.
Chen Yuxi's tears seem to have added another fire to this controversy.
Another netizen commented: "Zhou Jihong's training method is indeed very controversial.
We all know that training to win a gold medal at the Olympics must be hard.
I feel like we need to find a balance.
The physical and mental health of athletes is equally important.
If you train too much or are under too much pressure, it can affect your performance.
I hope that the coaching team can pay more attention to the psychological state of the athletes and give them more humanistic care.
They are not machines, but people of flesh and blood.
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Looking back on Liu Xiang's experience, it is not difficult for us to find the shadow of the "gold medal theory" in China's sports world.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Liu Xiang won the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 12.91 seconds, becoming the pride of Asian track and field.
The gold medal not only did not relieve him of the pressure, but instead made him carry more expectations.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the whole country expected him to successfully defend his title at home.
As a result, injuries and pressure crushed the former flyer, and he had to retire in tears, under tremendous pressure from public opinion.
This is not uncommon in Chinese sports.
For too long, we have overemphasized the importance of gold medals and neglected the all-round development and physical and mental health of athletes.
High-intensity training, huge psychological pressure, and lack of normal life experience have become problems that plague athletes.
One netizen said: "I think we should reflect on our sports culture.
Why do we always think gold medals are so important?
Athletes who put in so much effort deserve respect and praise even if they don't win a gold medal.
We should appreciate the spirit and attitude of the athletes on the field, not just the results.
I hope that the society can give more understanding and support to athletes, so that they can enjoy the competition and show their best selves.
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In fact, the sources of stress faced by athletes are manifold.
In addition to expectations from national honors, there are also public attention and public opinion pressure, as well as self-expectations and career pressures.
These pressures intertwine to form a complex psychological burden.
Long-term high-intensity training can not only put a huge load on an athlete's body, but also affect their mental health.
Many athletes will have emotional problems due to excessive stress, and even affect their performance.
What's more, when these athletes retire, they often face problems adjusting to life.
Because of their long-term focus on training and competition, they may lack other skills and experience to integrate into ordinary social life.
In the face of these problems, we need to take some improvement measures.
We should balance the pursuit of gold medals with the well-being of athletes.
While the pursuit of excellence is important, it should not come at the expense of the physical and mental health of athletes.
We need to strengthen the psychological counselling of athletes to help them cope better with stress.
We should provide diverse development opportunities for athletes to develop beyond their athletic careers.
We need to increase public understanding and tolerance, and give more support and encouragement to athletes.
Another netizen expressed his opinion: "I think we should redefine the meaning of sports.
Sport isn't just about winning games, it's about promoting physical and mental health and building team spirit.
I would like to see more athletes able to enjoy the process of competing and not be bothered by the pressure of gold medals.
We should also give more humanistic care to athletes and pay attention to their all-round development.
Only in this way can our sports cause truly develop healthily.
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Chen Yuxi's tears and Liu Xiang's regrets are all reminding us that the essence and charm of sports competition should not only lie in the gold medal.
The fighting spirit, tenacious will and excellent skills displayed by the athletes on the field are truly worthy of our appreciation and respect.
Let's give more understanding and support to our athletes, so that they can fully display their talents and enjoy the competition without undue pressure.
At the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, we are looking forward to seeing not only the number of gold medals, but also the wonderful performances and positive attitudes of the athletes on the field.
Regardless of the final result, as long as they give it their all and show the best of themselves, it is already the biggest win.
Let us cheer for the athletes and contribute to the healthy development of China's sports industry!