Diving Preview: China aims for Diving gold rush

(BEIJING, August 8) -- With the added advantage of being the hosts, diving powerhouse China (CHN) have their sights set on all eight gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

They have already won at the National Aquatics Center, where they grabbed seven out of eight titles at the 2008 FINA Diving World Cup in February.

Furthermore, they are the reigning Olympic champions, collecting six out of eight gold medals at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The competition starts Sunday, August 10.

Women's:

Diving queen Guo Jingjing (CHN) spearheads China's strong line-up in the Women's events. Guo, who is the defending champion in both the 3m Individual and Synchronised Springboard, has won four consecutive gold medals at the world championships. This is her third Olympic Games appearance.

Should Guo win both the Individual and Synchronised 3m Springboard here she would break the record for most Olympic medals held by a female diver. This record currently rests with Fu Mingxia (CHN) who won five medals during her Olympic career.

Guo plans to retire after Beijing 2008.

Guo's teammate Wu Minxia (CHN) is proving to be a worthy successor. Currently ranked world No. 5 in the 3m Springboard, Wu finished second to Guo at Athens 2004 and the world championships in 2005 and 2007. She has, however, upset Guo several times, including in the 2008 World Cup.

The Chinese duo won the 3m Synchronised Springboard at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and will team up again on the first day of the Diving competition at Beijing 2008.

Sharleen Stratton of Australia (AUS) is World No. 2 in the 3m Springboard and a bronze medal winner at the World Cup this year.

Blythe Hartley of Canada (CAN) is ranked No. 4 in the world and Julia Pakhalina of Russia (RUS) who was a bronze medallist in this event at Athens 2004 will be in tough competition for bronze.

Young Chinese pair Chen Ruolin (CHN) and Wang Xin (CHN) will make their Olympic Games debut in the 10m Synchronised Platform on August 12. Chen and Wang, who are ranked World No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in Individual 10m Platform, will also compete fiercely for this title that China surprisingly failed to secure in Athens or Sydney.

Veteran divers such as gold medalist in the 10m Platform at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Laura Wilkinson of the United States (USA) and the 2003 world champion in the event, Emilie Heymans (CAN) will challenge the young Chinese aiming for a podium finish.

Chantelle Newberry (AUS) will not defend her Athens 2004 title in this event. The 31-year-old diver returned to the Diving scene in 2007 following the birth of her second son and managed third at the Australian national trials. An impressive result, but not good enough to challenge at Beijing 2008. She will compete in the Women's 3m Springboard only.

Men's:

While China has dominated the Women's field, the Chinese men have not distanced themselves from the rest of the pack so significantly.

Sascha Klein of Germany (GER) is the one to stop China's gold rush. Currently ranked World No. 1 in the 10m Platform, Klein has been a regular face on the medal podium at the Grand Prix in 2008, winning a title at Rostock, Germany, and finishing third at Fort Lauderdale, the United States. The 22-year-old German also surprised the Chinese, beating them at the World Cup this year.

Zhou Luxin (CHN) will be Klein's main challenger. The World No. 2 ranked diver has missed gold at two major events recently. He only managed silver at the 2008 World Cup and the 2007 world championships in Melbourne, and will be seeking revenge. Another Chinese diver, Lin Yue (CHN) also aims to grab two medals. Lin will participate in individual 10m Platform and in 10m Synchronised Platform with Huo Liang (CHN).

Thomas Daley of Great Britain (GBR), who turned 14 in May, is also barging into China with momentum. He became the youngest person ever to win a gold medal in the 10m Platform at the 2008 European Championships in March.

The Men's 3m Springboard is likely to be one of the closest Diving events at Beijing 2008. He Chong (CHN) is one of the hot favorites in this event. He is currently World No. 1 in this event and has won a number of titles including the World Cup, the Grand Prix (Canada and China) and the World Series (Nanjing and Sheffield) in 2008.

His compatriot Qin Kai (CHN) is a reigning world champion in this event. He is now in good shape after recovering from a fractured left hand in March last year. Qin will also compete for China in 3m Synchronised Springboard with Wang Feng (CHN).

"King of Diving" Dmitri Sautin (RUS) will compete at his fifth Olympic Games. The veteran diver has already collected seven Olympic medals (two gold, one silver and four bronze) and he will aim to bring the curtain down on his long career by winning more.

Alexandre Despatie (CAN) was a silver medalist at Athens 2004, but now has some injury.

concerns. He broke his right foot in training earlier this year. The Canadian team showed great confidence in Despatie by giving him an Olympic spot, despite him missing the national trials.

Ken Terauchi (JPN) will dive for his first Olympic medal. The experienced diver who won bronze in this event at the 2001 world championships in Fukuoka, has regained his momentum over the last few years -- he came fourth at Melbourne 2007 and won a title at the Grand Prix (Fort Lauderdale, the United States) in May 2008.

Yahel Castillo of Mexico is also one to watch. He is the only diver in the world who can command a 5355B (reverse two-and-a-half-somersault and two-and-a-half-twist in pike position, DD:3.9). Even though he is a relatively new face on the international competition circuit, he has claimed several medals recently, including gold at the World Series on his home soil, in Tijuana, in 2008.