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Chinese National Diving Champs ends with no surprise
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With Guangdong diver Luo Yutong winning the last gold, the Chinese National Diving Championships ended with no surprise in Hefei, Central China on Monday.

The Championships, the last Olympic trial, didn't attract many strong divers, and most world champion divers didn't take part in the individual events including Olympic champion Guo Jingjing.

In the women's three-meter springboard synchronized final, Guo and Wu Minxia, the Olympic champion in Athens, performed well and showed a class of their own by totaling 348.00 points, beating their closest rivals Hou Yuanyuan/ Fang Min of Sichuan, who posted 329.81.

The bronze went to He Zi and Dong Jun of Guangdong at 322.50.

"Until now, we still don't know who will compete in the Olympic Games in synchro," said Guo, 27. "As the Olympic Games is coming, there are not too much time left, so we need to train harder and harder."

Guo, the springboard specialist, has taken part in a series of competitions in the past few months, and her performances were always steady.

"I competed in lots of competitions since the beginning of 2008," said Guo. "I cannot say I don't feel tired, but it is not a big deal."

In the women's 10m platform synchro, teenager divers Wang Xin and Chen Ruolin claimed the gold with ease on Saturday.

Chen and Wang, both 16, winner of the event at the 2007 Melbourne world championships, led Saturday's final through five high-level dives to collect 374.04 points.

"We synchronized quite well," said Chen, gold medalist of the women's 10m platform at the 16th Diving World Cup in February. "But I think Wang Xin dived better than me today."

"I need to perform better in the future," added Chen.

Kang Li and Wang Hao, both from Tianjin, totalled 365.46 to take the silver, while Gao Lin and Gao Li, twins from Hebei, finished third at 341.94.

In the men's 3m springboard synchro, world champion pair Wang Feng and Qin Kai clinched the gold.

Luo Yutong and Lin Jin of Guangdong took the silver, while Zhang Xinhua and Li Shixin of Chinese Navy finished third.

Without world champion pair Lin Yue/Huo Liang, the men's 10m platform synchro title went to Ying Hong and Li Junbai of Shanghai and Yunnan respectively.

Wang Liang and Zhou Xin of Shanxi took the silver, and Li Mengqiang and Wang Zihao of Anhui took the bronze.

Luo Yutong of Guangdong clinched the last gold of the 2008 National Diving Championships here on Monday as he won men's three-meter springboard gold.

The 2008 National Diving Championships, which serves as the last Olympic trial for synchronized events, didn't attract many strong divers in individual events.

With the absense of He Chong and Qin Kai, winner of the event at 2008 Diving World Cup and 2007 Melbourne Worlds respectively, Luo claimed the 3m springboard title for the first time at 527.70.

"It is my first gold in the men's 3m springboard," said Luo, bronze medalist of the men's 10m platform final on Sunday. "I have always expected this gold, so it's quite important for me."

"With the gold, I will be more confident in the future," added Luo, who beat the silver medalist Zhang Sen of Shaanxi by more than 20 points.

"I didn't do well in my last dive," said Zhang, who posted 507.00.

The bronze went to Li Shixin of Chinese Navy at 504.50.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2008)

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