At the 2001 World Junior Championships, he won the gold on the 3m Springboard and the silver medal on the Platform.

He retained his synchronised springboard title, this time with Luo Yutong, and won the silver medal in the individual event.

[5] In 2015, he partnered with Cao Yuan on the men's 3m synchro springboard at the World Championships in Kazan and won gold.

[6] At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Qin won bronze in 3m synchronized dive with Cao Yuan.

[8] Qin Kai proposed to fellow diver and girlfriend of 6 years, He Zi, right after she won silver in the women's 3m individual springboard at the Rio Olympics.