Olympic diving champion Zhang Jiaqi has hit back at critics who have labelled her career shift to live streaming as “the fall of a genius”, asserting that financial independence is the ultimate freedom for women.
The 21-year-old retired in November after finishing 10th in the National Games 10m platform final, marking the end of a 15-year career and the start of a new life chapter.
Her live stream e-commerce debut a week later sparked an online backlash, with internet trolls accusing her of “forgetting her roots” and being “eager for quick money” after what they viewed as a hesitant performance.
“After retiring, I have to face the situation of finding a new job,” Zhang said at a recent women’s event featuring…