The Chinese "dream team" is more cautious than ever for challenges from men's platform rivals on its way to bag the last diving gold at Beijing Olympics.
Chinese favorites Zhou Luxin and Huo Liang are out to stage a one-two finish for China. As world No.2 in the event, Zhou had grabbed silver medals both at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne and the World Cup in Beijing earlier this year.
Huo had replaced another Olympic champion Lin Yue to compete in the individual event, simply because he has better form than his synchro partner Lin.
The duo snatched gold in men's 10m synchro event on Aug. 11.
German top diver Sascha Klein, Russian world champion Gleb Galperin, world No.3 Mathew Mitcham of Australia and his teammate Mathew Helm, silver medalist at the Athens Olympics, are among the strong rivals aiming to end China's gold spree.
Klein, current world No. 1 in platform diving, had won a surprise title in the World Cup earlier this year by fending off strong Chinese divers.
Galperin had been sidelined since 2007 summer due to spinal injury, however he recovered to claim a stunning victory in this discipline at the Grand Prix in Russia last April.
The 27-year-old Helm hopes to end his diving career with a medal in his third Olympic trip.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2008)