Popular Chinese diver Tian Liang has decided to retire from diving. This was announced by Peng Ya-lan, deputy director of his agent company, through sina.com, a major news portal website in China.

Peng said she was informed of the decision on Monday without seeing the athlete personally. Plans for the future could not be discussed until Tian Liang comes back to Beijing on Tuesday. However, one thing is for sure: he is willing to contribute to the forthcoming 2008 Olympics, possibly in attending the evening party for the great event and taking part in promotional events.

Tian Liang, well known as the "diving prince", grabbed his last diving gold in October 1, 2005 at the 10th National Games, by dramatically claiming victory in the men's 10-meter platform final. The medal came almost a year after he was dismissed from the national diving team in January 2005 for excessive participation in commercial activities.

He began taking courses in Tsinghua University in 2005 as a postgraduate in sports management, before suspending his schoolwork to resume training. Following this formal retirement from diving, he is likely to return to his course.

Tian Liang, now 27-years-old, comes from northwestern China's Shaanxi province. He joined the national diving team in 1993 at the age of 14, winning gold in the men's 10-meter platform event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

He then won gold in the 10m synchronized platform and a bronze in the individual event at the Athens Games four years later.

(CRI March 27, 2007)