China sweeps synchro diving golds at London Olympics

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0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, August 2, 2012
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LONDON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- With the fourth gold in men's springboard synchro diving, China has swept all the synchro titles at London Olympics on Wednesday.

In Wednesday's men's springboard synchro final, China's world champions Qin Kai and Luo Yutong led all the way from the start and compiled 477.00 points to take the gold, 11 points clear over silver medallists Russian duo Llya Zakharov and Evgeny Kuznetsov, world silver medallists.

Qin and Luo, also champions of the World Cup in the same pool earlier this year, already sealed victory after their fourth dive - an inward three-and-a-half somersault in tuck position, moving 27 points clear off closest chasers.

The highest score of 104.88 points in the final came from the Chinese duo's fifth dive - a most difficult forward four-and-a-half somersault in tuck position - with a rating of 3.8.

Previously, Chinese divers asserted supremacy in the other three synchro events and powered home all gold medals on offer.

Olympic champion Wu Minxia and her partner He Zi captured the third straight Olympic title in women's springboard synchro. It is also Wu's fifth Olympic medal after taking two golds, one silver and bronze each in Beijing and Athens.

Chinese teenager divers Cao Yuan and Zhang Yanquan twirled to victory in men's 10m platform synchro to add the second, while defending Olympic champion Chen Ruolin and her partner Wang Hao took the third one in women's 10m platform synchro on Tuesday.

So far, the Chinese divers impressed audience with their brilliant executions and stable mindset, and were lamented by their rivals as "unbeatable".

The biggest competitors for them are considered to be themselves.

Australian veteran Loudy Wiggins, who lost to Chinese duo Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao in women's 10m platform synchro, told Xinhua the Chinese duo are too strong to be defeated.

Wednesday saw the end of synchro diving events of London Olympics, with individual events set to kick off on Friday.

The Chinese "Dream Team" are half-way for an expected gold sweep in London though team manager Zhou Jihong warned "unprecedented challenges" from foreign competitors.

The Chinese squad, whose women especially have long enjoyed a stranglehold on the sport's various disciplines, won five gold medals in 2000, six in 2004 and seven in 2008. They swept all gold medals on offer at last year's Shanghai World Championships. Enditem

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