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July 25, 2015

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Home » Sports » Diving

Rivals out to break China’s grip

GERMAN duo Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein insist they face a near-mission impossible in their bid to stop China dominating the diving at the world aquatic championships, which start today.

Two years ago in Barcelona, Hausding and Klein won gold in the synchronized 10-meter platform to prevent a Chinese sweep as their divers claimed nine of the 10 world titles on offer.

Chinese divers have an enviable record in recent major events.

They claimed six out of eight golds at the London 2012 Olympics and won ten out of ten on home soil when the world championships were held in Shanghai four years ago, as well as seven out of eight victories at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

This time around in Kazan, Russia, Chinese divers will again be the ones to beat.

Hausding admits the German pair have their work cut out to repeat their gold-medal winning feat when their event takes place tomorrow.

“If you look at things realistically, gold isn’t really there for us. Once again, the Chinese would have to do us a favor and slip up,” said Hausding ahead of the action at Kazan’s Aquatics Palace.

“Our goal is a medal to be sure of our place for the Olympics.”

In Barcelona, the Chinese pair of Cao Yuan and Zhang Yanquan could only finish third and Cao, the 2012 London Olympic 10m platform gold medalist, will be dropping down to compete in the 3m individual and synchronized in Kazan.

“As a former platform diver, it is going to be the first time for me to compete in the springboard at a world championships and I am under huge pressure,” said the 20-year-old.

Tom Daley, 21, will lead the British diving team looking to better the 10m platform bronze he won at the London Olympics having finished second in this year’s world series to China’s Yang Jian.

But 20-year-old Jack Laugher from Yorkshire, England, is another name to watch out for having seen off Hausding and Cao to win the 3m springboard by winning three of the six world series meetings.

Surprisingly He Chong, the 28-year-old 2008 Olympic champion in the 3m springboard and three-time world champion, has failed to qualify for the event, leaving younger brother He Chao to carry the family name in Kazan.

“It is weird that my older brother is unable to compete with me together since competing with him has also been my dream,” said He, who won the 1m springboard gold at last year’s Asian Games.

There promises to be a battle royal in the men’s 10m platform in the final diving event on August 2 with Daley up against Chinese platform stars Yang, the 2014 world cup winner, and twice world champion Qiu Bo.

Wu Minxia, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, will be competing in the women’s 3m synchronized springboard tomorrow with partner, Shi Tingmao, in an event the pair have made their own.




 

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