Off Track ..... Leaping from cast-off to champion

China's new diving hero He Chong has finally banished the ghost of a childhood spent as a sports reject, passed from coach to coach as competitive trainers looked for more talented youngsters to mentor.

He won Olympics gold in the three-metre springboard on Tuesday with a breath-taking display of skill and control that had the capacity crowd gasping and then dancing in their seats.

His first diving teachers were likely squirming with regret.