China’s elite diving squad got its World Cup Super Final campaign off to a flying start at home on Friday by winning all the five events on Day 1 of the World Aquatics premier meet at Beijing’s National Aquatics Center.
Women’s platform specialist Chen Yuxi proved the star to watch on the first day, having taken a long break since November’s National Games, and she did not disappoint in her first international meet this year after dominating the field with new partner Lu Wei to win the 10m synchronized title in compelling fashion.
The Chinese pair delivered a flawless display of precision, synchronization and steady nerve, cruising to the top of the podium with an overall score of 366.12 points after five dives, which left judges stunned and the crowd in awe at the iconic venue, known as the “Water Cube”.
North Korean pair Jo Jin-mi and Kim Mi-rae finished second, scoring 321.30 points in total, while Australian duo Milly Puckeridge and Ellie Cole settled with a bronze medal at 297.12 points.
Chen, who had to switch partner to dive with Lu on Friday in a last-minute call, due to her original partner Cui Jiaxi’s sudden health problem, attributed her consistent performance to focus on training.
“I think we did well enough today, even though we still had some tiny issues with the technical details of our execution,” Chen, a 20-year-old two-time Olympic champion in synchro, said after the final.
“Facing whatever changes or challenges that I have to deal with, I just focus on doing my best in training and trying to execute my best in competition. The change (of partner) didn’t affect my performance.
“I am really excited to be back competing again, after the long hiatus since last year’s National Games, and I feel familiar to the competition and the venue at Water Cube.”
