LONDON ? She giggled with a teammate, took two long pulls on a bottle of cola, and spoke about sacrifice. In her case, Wu Minxia appeared to sacrifice meaningful connection with her immediate family in pursuit of the Olympic gold medal she had just won.
The Chinese diver became the source of debate around the London Olympics when it was reported her parents concealed the death of her grandparents for a year so they would not distract from her training. For the same reason, her mother?s long-term battle with cancer was also kept secret.
Wu, 26, won her second gold medal at the London Olympics on Sunday, when she routed the field in the women?s three-metre springboard final. Afterward, she was asked whether she thought the success in the pool justified the apparent sacrifices her family has made.
?Well, first of all, I haven?t died,? she said, though a translator. ?You know??
There was laughter in the room.
?Besides, I think everyone has a dream, and I choose to dive, and I want to make some difference,? she said. ?It?s not me, only, who achieved those results. There are so many people supporting me, including my family, my coach and everyone probably not known to the world.?
According to translations of a story that appeared in the Shanghai Morning Post, the star athlete?s parents have been wary of keeping close contact for fear of becoming obstacles in the pursuit of Olympic success. Wu has won six Olympic medals in her career: four gold, one silver and one bronze.
?We?ve known for years that our daughter doesn?t belong to us anymore,? her father was quoted as saying, in a translation provided by Agence France-Press.
?Well, separated from family, I think it?s not only Chinese athletes,? Wu said though a translator on Sunday. ?However, we are just like a big family. We train together from different locations. We all gather together. Maybe there?s some distance between your real family, however, I think the distance does not stop us feeling they are beside us.
?Now, with high technology, we can call every day.?
In the newspaper story, though, her father said they routinely keep details from her.
?I don?t think it would work like this at home, but I think everything people do, it was for her best interest,? veteran Canadian diver ?milie Heymans said. ?And if they thought it was the best for her, than it was good for her.?
Wu won the three-metre springboard competition with 414.00 points, a cushion of more than 34 points ahead of teammate He Zi (379.20), and more than 50 ahead of the bronze-medal winner, Laura Sanchez of Mexico. (Heymans finished 12th, while fellow Canadian Jennifer Abel was sixth.)
?My future Olympic goals? This Olympic games, for me, is just a starting point,? Wu said. ?I?m very, very happy today with my achievements, and I think I have reached such a point that I can stand here, and I can look upwards now.?
Many elite athletes have stories of sacrifice. Junior hockey players are routinely asked to leave home at a young age, moving away from family to live with a billet family. Some Olympians delay post-graduate studies to maintain the dream of winning a medal, or put up their own money to fund their pursuit.
What Wu sacrificed seemed different, more severe.
?We know her [social media posts] can?t give us much information, but reading them ensures that we are at peace,? her father reportedly said. ?If we see she?s okay, then we are happy ? She doesn?t call a lot. She?s too busy training.?
On Sunday, Wu told reporters that she hoped ?to rest? after these Games.
?If I have a holiday,? she said, ?I will go home straight away, yes.?
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