The 28-year-old who has won more Olympic medals than any other female diver, having claimed six in a career stretching back to the Sydney Games in 2000, when she won two silver, has set her sights first on the World Championships in Shanghai in 2011 and then London the following year.

There has been feverish speculation in the Chinese media that she plans to marry Kenneth Fok, the grandson of late Hong Kong business tycoon Henry Fok, and plans to quit.

It had been claimed that she had already submitted a retirement request to the Chinese authorities - something she has denied.

She said: The country raised me over the years and helped me earn all kinds of glory.

"I cannot decide to retire so easily."

Guo is China's most popular female athlete with multi-million dollar endorsement contracts with Coca-Cola and McDonald's and news of her relationship with Fok, the son of Timothy Fok, a member of the International Olympic Committee, regularly appears in the gossip columns in China.

Guo claimed that Fok would support whatever decision she took.

She said: "Yes, I want to take part in the next World Championships.

"I want to take part in the next Olympics.

"I want to go on training and always improve.

"It also depends on my status.

"It's hard to maintain good form but, if I can, I would love to continue to compete for China to earn more awards for my country."

Guo captured her first springboard world title in 2001, and she has not lost a competition, winning a total of 10 World Championship gold medals, a record.