beyondBeijing2008.com

When Guo Jingjing and her diving partner Wu Minxia stepped on to the 3-meter diving board last Sunday, a jubilant audience watched with hushed anticipation. A breathless moment… then the two partners dove into the air with a perfect back dive to the thundering applause of their adoring fans.

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Guo Jingjing of China dives during practice at the National Aquatics Center on Aug. 5.

The score? Three perfect 10s and it was only the second dive of the competition. The pair went on to win the first gold in diving for China with an effortless 20 points lead.

But it wasn’t her graceful somersault or dazzling spins that had the public talking the next day. It was the tiny Tiffany necklace around her neck that had the Chinese blogs abuzz.

On Sina.com’s Olympic Blog, Chinese Netizens were busy dissecting the significance of wearing the necklace, apparently a gift from Hong Kong playboy and tycoon Kenneth Fok, who has been linked romantically with Guo.

“Does this mean she’ll be married after the gold?” wrote one enthusiastic Netizen. Another blog, in true PerezHilton fashion, posted a blow up picture of the necklace hours after the competition with speculation on the price tag.

The persistent interest in Guo’s personal life reflects the changing attitude the Chinese public has toward athletes.

Once seen as property of the country’s public collective, now athletes who rake in the gold are encouraged to pursue all the perks that come with stardom – money, fame, and corporate sponsorships. And with it, a new image for the Chinese athlete.

“Before the 1980’s people saw athletes as their own family,” said China Daily Columnist Raymond Zhou, referring to China’s economic rise in the early ‘80s. “Now people see them as individuals.”