The story of Ma Jin, the Chinese coach for whom Osmar is asking for a raise: She had an accident that left her blind

Mexico recently made history thanks to Osmar Olvera’s gold medal at the 2025 Diving World Championships, an achievement he achieved not alone, but alongside Ma Jin, a coach for whom he is asking for a raise thanks to everything she has achieved for the sport in our country.

“One thing I would definitely ask (of Claudia Sheinbaum) is for Ma Jin to stay here, because she has many offers from other countries, so, in other words, a raise so she can stay with us and have more support,” the diver stated in an impromptu press conference upon their arrival from Singapore.

Behind the success of Ma Jin, the Chinese coach who not only trains Olvera, but also other divers such as Juan Celaya, and, in their early days, Paola Espinosa and Rommel Pacheco, is a story of sacrifice and suffering that began with her as a diver.

Ma Jin’s Career as a Diver

The Chinese are known for their disciplined training, especially in the sport of diving. Although Ma Jin preferred ballet, fate led her to become a pupil of Ren Shao Fen, whom she didn’t want to disappoint and so she stayed.

From the age of 7, Ma Jin practiced diving with Shao Fen, who had a very “rough” coaching style, to the point of physically attacking his athletes with pinches and slaps.
At a professional level, Ma Jin competed from the age of 12 and, thanks to her talent, won several medals, as well as a salary that motivated her to continue.

However, when she was 17, she suffered an accident during a diving competition that left her blind for a few days and cut short her career as a diver. The Chinese athlete no longer wanted to compete after the incident, which, in her opinion, was very painful.

“In a competition, while diving 10 meters, I hit my face in the water and hurt my eyes; they were bleeding. I went blind for a few days. I got scared and retired,” she revealed in an interview with Proceso.

After recovering her sight and retiring from diving, she decided to look at the sport from a different perspective and begin professional training to work below platforms and springboards.