Wu wins women's 3m springboard at Shanghai worlds
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Xinhua, July 24, 2011
Chinese veteran diver Wu Minxia claimed the women's 3m springboard gold medal, the ninth gold for the hosts, at the 14th FINA World Championships on Saturday.
Cheered on by an emotional capacity crowd, the 25-year-old, winner of the synchronzied 3m event with He Zi at Shanghai, collected 380.85 points to lift the title, only 1.7 points better than He Zi, the silver medallist, who posted 379.15. Canadian Jennifer Abel brought home a bronze at 365.10.
"It's not easy to win the gold medal," said Wu, 1m springboard runner-up at 2009 worlds. "I made an error on Dive 4 so I have to do my best in the last round."
"Overall, I did better than in the semifinal and preliminary. I have overcome many difficulites in the past year. My next goal is to qualify for the London Olympics and then win the gold there," she said.
China's basketball super star Yao Ming was also among the spectators to cheer for Wu and He.
"I've not known Yao's coming it until you told me," said Wu. "I couldn't see him during the final and I think he's here to cheer for all the athletes."
Although the Shanghai worlds is the sixth World Championships the 25-year-old has taken part in, it is her first individual title at worlds.
He trailed Wu tightly in the last two rounds, but Wu, runner-up of the event at 2005 and 2007 worlds, stayed calm and kept her advantage till the end.
Wu jumped to fame when she earned the women's 3m springboard synchro title at the 2004 Athens Olympics with "diving queen" Guo Jingjing. The pair also claimed the gold at the 2008 Beijing Games and four World Championships.
However, Wu had always trailed Guo in individual events and not so many people still remember Wu's silver medal 3m springboard in Athens and bronze in Beijing.
"I'm happy with the silver," said the 20-year-old He, world champion of the 1m springboard at 2007 Melbourne worlds. "I made the same mistake as in the semifinals. Actually, my leg injury was not a concern."
"Althoug one of my dives was not good, I am satisfied with myself," she added. "It will be a good experience."
He, who has been trained under the same coach with Guo Jingjing and considered as the successor of Guo by many people, injuried her foot two months before the World Championships.
"I think I still have lots of things to improve compared with Guo and Wu," said He.
Abel seemed very excited toward her medal.
"It is the greatest competition in the year and also it is the hardest one," said the bronze medallist, who burst into tears when hugging her coach after the last round. "I started off between two Chinese divers, but I focused on the game. For next year's Olympic Games, I need to keep focus on the training."
Earlier Saturday, Chinese diver Qiu Bo led the men's 10m platform semifinal at 579.55, beating his arch rival German Sascha Klein by almost 77 points. Klein took second at 502.85, while Russian Victor Minibaev finished third with 493.55.
"The score is good," said the 18-year-old Qiu, winner of the synchro platform with Huo Liang at Shanghai worlds. "I didn't feel good with my leg in the morning, but it's getting much better in the afternoon."
American diver David Boudia was the fourth at 486.30, and Chinese Zhou Luxin, runner-up of the event at the Beijing Games, only finished fifth at 473.75. Defending champion Thomas Daley of Britain was the sixth at 467.80.
"I was tired in later part of the semifinal today so I want to take a rest now," said Zhou. "I would try my best to win the gold medal in the final."
The men's 10m platform title is the most challenging one for diving powerhouse China, as they lost it both at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2009 Rome worlds.
The final is the last of the diving events at Shanghai worlds and will be held on Sunday.
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