The 'Grassroots Genius' Excluded: Quan Hongchan Faces Collective Bullying

Chinese social media (Made by ChatGPT)

[People News] Quan Hongchan, the 'genius girl' of China's diving team, has captivated the world with her nearly flawless 'disappearing splash' during competitions. However, recent viral screenshots from Chinese social media have exposed a private group called the 'Splash Conqueror Alliance,' which has been engaged in long-term vicious personal attacks and insults against Quan Hongchan. The shocking member list includes several current national team teammates, CCTV reporters, and international judges. The revelation has sparked widespread public outrage online.

Openly Inciting 'To Insult Quan Hongchan Mercilessly'

According to the leaked screenshots, the private group 'Splash Conqueror Alliance,' consisting of 282 members, has effectively turned into a 'hate community' targeting Quan Hongchan. The group owner openly established extremely malicious rules in the group announcement: 'Attacking other athletes (except Quan Hongchan) is prohibited,' and updated the 'new group rules' on November 15, 2025, explicitly inciting members: 'From now on, this group can freely insult Quan Hongchan and Wang Chuqin, insult them mercilessly.' Members of the group not only assigned various offensive nicknames to Quan Hongchan but also engaged in prolonged verbal bullying.

Reports indicate that the identities of the group members are notable, with named members including:

National Team Teammates: Chen Yuxi, Chang Yani, Chen Yiwen, Long Daoyi, Yang Jian (former athlete), etc.

Official Media: CCTV Sports Reporter Yang Shuo.

Professionals: International diving judge Rao Lang, family members of athletes, and several sports bloggers.

Reports suggest that the individuals involved are aware of each other's identities, yet no one has objected to the derogatory comments made within the group. This silence has been interpreted by netizens as a form of 'elite complicity and collective bullying against the grassroots.'

It has been reported that a diver from Macau left the group because they could no longer tolerate the situation, and as a result, faced collective attacks from other group members.

Macau athlete leaves group and is insulted; netizens express their discontent, igniting trending searches.

The incident reportedly began on the evening of March 31, when a netizen posted on Douban expressing sympathy for Quan Hongchan. This post was met with rebuttals from fans of Quan's teammate, Chen Yuxi. During this exchange, another netizen voiced their discontent and shared screenshots of the group. This information was later disseminated on Weibo, leading to the incident gaining momentum.

Following the exposure of this incident, it has provoked significant outrage among netizens.

Netizens have criticised, 'Why are these people like this? I can never understand how ugly human nature can be; it has repeatedly challenged my understanding over the years.' 'They are truly malicious.' 'They take pleasure in subtly bullying the grassroots.' 'Is this issue really going unaddressed?'

'This has escalated into a major scandal at the national team level. National team athletes, a diving reporter representing CCTV, referees, and the abusers are aware of their presence in the group, yet act without restraint. Their silence appears to be tacit approval for the abusers, as if they have support. Moreover, CCTV reporter and athlete Yang Jian have previously spoken in the group.'

Authorities have suppressed trending searches, with all platforms effectively 'covering their mouths.'

On April 6, reports emerged online indicating that the group owner had voluntarily disbanded the group and deleted posts, but the relevant screenshots have circulated widely across various social media platforms. Despite the serious bullying allegations, the Chinese diving team, the General Administration of Sport of China, and CCTV have remained silent.

Meanwhile, netizens have noticed that major social media platforms are implementing strict measures to maintain stability. Discussions related to this issue on platforms like Xiaohongshu (XHS) and Douban (DB) have been swiftly blocked. This response from the authorities has, paradoxically, sparked a sense of defiance among netizens. They have started to express their opinions in corners of platforms like Netease and the Ban forum using euphemistic language and sharing screenshots.

Netizens have raised questions: "Typically, even minor incidents involving Quan Hongchan trend on social media, yet this significant issue has received no attention. This is clearly beyond what public relations can manage; it seems the General Administration of Sport is directly involved in maintaining stability." "If bullying cannot be addressed, then those who uncover it should be silenced."

Some netizens have analysed the situation, stating, "They are currently silencing voices across all platforms; the speed at which content related to XHS and DB is being blocked is remarkable. Compared to celebrity public relations, this is a minor issue. Usually, any small action by Quan Hongchan trends, yet this incident has not. Given the current level of stability maintenance, it seems unlikely that public relations could handle this; it is probably the General Administration of Sport that is involved. Furthermore, the group announcement specifically targets Quan Hongchan, indicating organised targeting. Regardless of whether the athletes have spoken out, they are all participants. Additionally, aside from the few individuals who have been exposed, there are many whose identities remain unknown. If this situation escalates, it could potentially turn into a major scandal."

The genius girl’s voice trembles with emotion.

Many people think that Quan Hongchan, after winning three Olympic gold medals, should be able to reign as the queen of her sport. However, the reality is that for grassroots athletes, even gaining weight can be seen as a sin. When Quan Hongchan faces weight fluctuations during her developmental phase or experiences slight dips in her performance, she is labelled as 'fat', 'sturdy', and a 'fallen genius'. Some individuals even make it their mission to insult her, and her family and friends have not been spared from this vitriol.

Just days before the incident came to light, Quan Hongchan became emotional during an interview, pleading with the public to stop the online harassment directed at her family. At that time, the general consensus was that the online abuse stemmed from ignorant netizens, but it was unexpected that the harshest criticisms would come from her teammates, with whom she interacts daily, the reporters who document her achievements, and the judges who assess her performance.

Discrimination Based on Class and Background

This incident triggered a significant uproar on the Chinese internet in early April 2026. It is not just a simple sports news story; many view it as a collective scandal involving class discrimination, systemic exclusion, and the entitlement of state media reporters. It also highlights the current elite's disdain and arrogance towards 'grassroots geniuses' in China. While Quan Hongchan works hard to minimise the splash during her dives, the system and the 'circle' surrounding her are generating a malicious wave aimed at drowning her.

Many netizens believe that the primary reason for Quan Hongchan's exclusion is her 'rural grassroots background'.

Comments from netizens include: 'Sister Hong fought her way up against all odds; those teammates and reporters with connections and resources fundamentally look down on this girl from a rural area in Guangdong.'

This type of commentary has struck a chord with countless ordinary people amid the rise of "flexible employment" and the challenges of class mobility, as they see in Quan Hongchan a reflection of their own experiences with discrimination from "city dwellers" or the "elite class." 

What netizens find most intolerable is that teammates, who typically refer to Quan Hongchan as a sister in front of the camera, are secretly sharing derogatory remarks about her in group chats. 

Netizens have commented: "Smiling for photos in public while bullying her behind her back in private groups is like a real-life version of 'Empresses in the Palace' ." and "At just 19 years old, what kind of nightmare environment has Quan Hongchan been trained in?" 

The "fatherly tone" of reporters and the arrogance of officials 

Earlier in 2024, Southern Media journalist Zhu Xiaolong referred to Quan Hongchan as "crazy" and remarked, "If she doesn't dive, she looks like an idiot" during a live broadcast. The recent involvement of a CCTV reporter in a bullying group has completely ignited public dissatisfaction with state media journalists. 

Netizens have commented: "These reporters, having studied for a few years and being able to speak a few words of English, think they are superior and criticise an Olympic champion who brings glory to the country?" 

One netizen sarcastically remarked, "What else can you do besides writing? The gold medal Quan Hongchan won at 17 is worth more than all the worthless papers you've written in your life." 

In the eyes of the Chinese public, Quan Hongchan, due to her humble background, has been labelled as a "grassroots counterattack," symbolising the last hope of "rising from humble beginnings." When this hope is found to be under collective attack by the "system elites" and "calculating teammates," the public's anger is essentially a widespread outcry against social injustice. △