Diving In With USC's Hongping Li
USC head diving coach Hongping Li shares his journey from China to USC.
Aubrey Kragen
5/10/2021
In August 1984, Hongping Li placed fourth in the Los Angeles Olympics 3-meter springboard competition. The 21-year-old Chinese diver was disappointed to miss the platform in his first Olympic appearance at McDonald’s Olympic Swim Stadium on USC's campus. Little did he know, he’d have remarkable success in that very same pool a year later as a Trojan student-athlete and after that, as the head coach of the USC diving team for more than two decades.
Li was born in Shantou, Guangdong Province, in 1963. He excelled in gymnastics as a young boy, and at the age of 10, he was hand-selected to join the provincial diving program. Li had never stood on a diving board before, but scouts from his province’s diving program determined he had the correct body type and family background to join the elite group. They whisked him away to live at the training center in the capital city of Guangzhou, about 300 miles away. The transportation from Shantou to Guangzhou took over 12 hours.
Hongping Li
I was not very happy to be in the program at first. I was so immature. I was only 10 years old. I missed home. I was afraid of heights and not a very good swimmer.
Li left the training center after less than a year. But he wouldn’t be home for long. Despite Li’s growing pains while learning the sport, his family couldn’t turn down the financial support the government provided to athletes in provincial training programs. Li was one of seven children, and his family — like many others at the time — was experiencing financial hardship due to China’s Cultural Revolution led by Mao Zedong.
So he returned to the training center in Guangzhou in 1975 and stayed there for good, finally learning to excel in the sport.
Li made the Chinese Olympic team in 1980, but didn’t get the chance to showcase his talent, as China boycotted the Moscow Games due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
The next year, Li made history by becoming the first Chinese man to win a gold medal on the platform at the FINA World Cup as well as the World University Games.
Three years after that, Li found himself in Los Angeles for the 1984 Olympics. The swimming and diving events took place at the pool on USC’s campus, and Li performed admirably enough to catch the eye of USC swim coach Peter Daland and diving coach Rick Earley. Li later earned a full scholarship to become a student-athlete at USC, and was able to move on from the Chinese diving program.
Moving halfway across the world was difficult for Li, but his time away from home as a young child prepared him for the transition.
Being away from my parents wasn’t a challenge anymore, but being away from the circle of friends, the environment you know and the language barrier was difficult. I barely knew how to speak English when I came. It took me nearly three years in an English as a Second Language program. I spent an average of four hours a day studying English on top of my regular classes.Hongping Li
Li’s athletic talent carried over easily, as he won the Pac-10 and NCAA title in the 3-meter springboard as a freshman in 1986 and earned All-American honors in the 1-meter springboard. He was only allowed one season at USC due to an NCAA age rule, but he made the most of it. Until this day, he is still the only USC student-athlete to ever represent China in the Olympics.
After his days as an athlete ended, Li made his way into coaching, and was named the head coach of the USC diving team on July 1, 1999. He has been named NCAA Coach of the Year twice, Pac-12 Women’s Diving Coach of the Year 12 times and Pac-12 Men’s Diving Coach of the year five times. He has led his divers to a combined 55 All-American honors, eight NCAA titles and 37 conference titles.
As a coach, Li draws on the knowledge he gained during his rigorous training in China.
Training in the Chinese system provided me with a great deal of knowledge and what it takes to get the best out of you. That is, no doubt, still there. It’s almost in my blood.Hongping Li
But the 58-year-old takes a more nurturing approach with the Trojans he coaches than he encountered as a young man.
I never want to over-stress about the outcome, the winning part. But I emphasize the process — to give everything you’ve got, and see yourself improve … What makes me the most proud is when one of my athletes nails a dive for the first time ever. That moment gives me such a reward. When the athletes win, that’s definitely rewarding too, but I always tell my athletes, ‘If you have done your very best and you are happy with that, then that will be my best reward.’Hongping Li
