Chinese Olympic champions Chen Yuxi and Wang Zongyuan claimed the first two individual gold medals under the new head-to-head competition format at the World Aquatics Diving World Cup Super Final in Beijing on Saturday.
In the debuting set-up, the top 12 divers in individual events are seeded and paired according to their rankings. Each athlete chooses three dives to perform, with the lower scorer from each matchup being eliminated. In the semifinals, the remaining six divers are divided into two groups with the top two from each trio advancing to the final, where they return to their usual pace and order.
Top seed Chen won the women’s 10-meter platform gold medal by demonstrating consistency to finish with 432.15 points from the heats and semifinals. Her compatriot Quan Hongchan, who scored 57.75 on her 207C dive, accumulated a total of 399.25 points heading into the final.
With five stable dives in the final, Chen secured the win with 431.25 points, while Quan finished second with 409.80 due to minor mistakes in her 6243D and 207C dives. Alejandra Estudillo Torres of Mexico rounded out the podium with 332.70 points.
“I have never competed like this before, with three big battles within two days from 10m synchro, mixed team, and individual 10m event,” Chen said. “I felt faint at the end. It is a huge challenge, and a new lesson for me in dealing with the new competition format, and the issue of how to relax and adjust myself into form in a very short time.”
Quan felt earning a silver medal was the best reward for her discipline and perseverance amid growing pains. “The total time of the individual competition was limited less than one hour, including the head-to-head, semifinals, and final,” she said. “I felt lacking in energy a little bit, as I could hardly climb up to the platform. A silver is good for me because I am still learning how to balance my growing height and weight.”
In the men’s 3-meter springboard final, Wang, a two-time synchronized champion and two-time silver medalist in individual events at the last two editions of the Summer Olympics, claimed gold with 519.25 points, edging compatriot Zheng Jiuyuan into second place with 505.05 points.
Moritz Wesemann of Germany finished third with 430.45 points, while Luis Felipe Uribe Bermudez of Colombia missed the podium after compiling 418.20 to settle for fourth place.
“The new format pushed us to find our peak form from the very beginning, and I started well in the first two sessions. In fact, I lost some energy in the final, especially on my 207C, which only received 77.40,” said the 23-year-old Wang.
Zheng, 21, celebrated his first 500-plus-point performance in world level competition. “I have never reached 500-plus in competition before. I feel excited, even right now,” Zheng said. “The new format gave me more uncertainty and pressure. I laughed at myself for my poor first dive, 407C, with 68 points in the morning.”
Chinese divers have swept all seven gold medals available so far at the three-day Super Final. The competition will conclude on Sunday with the women’s 3m springboard and men’s 10m platform finals.
