China’s Yang Jian (center) won gold at the 10-meter platform final at the first leg of the FINA World Series in Beijing on Sunday. Chinese divers won all 10 gold medals in the three-day series. (Photo : Reuters)
Chinese diving sensation Yang Jian hit his own world record at the first leg of the FINA Diving World Series on Sunday at the Beijing Water Cube, posting 123.00 points in the final round of the 10-meter platform dive en route to a gold medal.
Yang's last dive, a notoriously difficult forward 4 and 1/2 somersault pike, earned him a perfect 10 from five of the seven judges for a total of 587.40 points.
The 21-year-old previously made same record-breaking score with the same dive while competing in London in 2014.
The showpiece 10-meter platform event also featured 2012 London Olympic gold medalist, American David Boudia, who bagged second place with 52.70 points behind Yang. Germany's Sascha Klein won third place trailing Boudia with 12.30 points.
"I didn't expect to perform this dive that well," Yang told reporters after his win. "My form and strength haven't been at their peak recently."
Fellow Chinese diver and 2013 World Series winner Qui Bo failed to recover from a third-dive slip up, earning only 42.00 points. Qiu ended up in fourth place, while British diver Thomas Daley failed to qualify for the final.
Earlier on Sunday, China's Liu Huixia rallied a one-two win in the women's 10-meter platform with two-time Olympic gold medalist Chen Ruolin.
China swept all the 10 gold medals in the three-day swimming event, including the new mixed synchronized diving category.
Zhou Jihong, director of the Chinese team, said that the popularity of the mixed events will take some time.
"The time has been very limited since FINA decided to introduce the mixed synchro in December," Zhou said in an interview. "Divers need more time to pair up with their partner."
FINA will hold the next biennial World Series in July in the Russian city of Kazan, where Zhou believes there will be more swimmers to compete in the mixed events as compared to the seven pairs who participated in Beijing.
FINA earlier drew criticism for its decision to hold the next tournament in Kazan, as both swimming and synchronized swimming competitions will be held in a soccer stadium. The home field of Russian Football League team FC Rubin Kazan will serve as the main venue for the series.
"We need to present better events, to create like a show that occupies the space between sport and entertainment in order to have better experience for the spectators," FINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu said in response to the press.
"It's important to attract more people; we may add more events in the future," Marculescu added.
