"I don't feel any pressure," said Guo Jingjing, the leading female diver in the Chinese team, who will compete in the 1m and 3m springboard individual events as well as in the synchronized 10m platform.

"Our coaches didn't set any medal target for us. I will just focus on my technique and try my best (to win)," said Guo, the reigning world champion in the women's individual and synchronized 3m springboard events.

During their pre-games training in the Tsinghua University Natatorium, Chinese divers looked anything but pressured. Queueing up beside the springboards, they made light jokes on each others while waiting for their turn to dive.

Wang Tianling, who won two silvers in the men's springboard events at World Championships last month, decribed the event as " something like a national Open".

"I'll take it easy and give a free play of myself," Wang said. "Because we are competing at home, everything will work in our favor. This is a big advantage over other teams," said Wang, who will take part in both individual springboard events at the games.

The 13-strong Chinese team, which boasts six World Championships titlists and four World Cup champions, are widely seen as the favorites in the 10-event diving pragram. They will take part in all events and may well sweep all the 12 titles, including two team titles.

China won four gold medals out of six diving events and also pocketed both men's and women's team titles at the 1999 Universiade in Palma, Spain.

More than 100 divers from 25 countries and regions have registered for this year's Universiade so far, according to the organisers.

(People's Daily 08/21/2001)