Chen dives for China's seventh gold
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Shanghai Daily, July 22, 2011
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Members of China's team pose with their silver medals after the synchronized swimming free combination final at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai last night. |
China's Chen Ruolin won the women's 10-meter platform diving title at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai yesterday after compatriot and close rival Hu Yudan's nerves got the better of her.
Chen, who combined with Wang Hao to win the 10-meter platform synchro gold earlier, scored 405.30 points, while Hu finished on 394.00 after scoring just 42.90 points in the fourth round of dives.
"I was defeated by Hu Yadan at the World Cup (last year), and it harmed my confidence," Chen, the Beijing Olympic champion in the event told reporters.
"The key to my victory is consistency. Hu is still young, she needs to take part in more competition to mature.
"Next, I will focus on the London Olympics," she added.
Mexico's Paolo Espinosa, who won the title in Rome in 2009, took bronze (377.15).
"Since the last world championships to this one, the Chinese athletes have already improved a lot in their skills, as well as their degree of difficulty, so it was definitely not an easy competition for me," Espinosa said.
Chen had never won the individual platform title at the worlds before, finishing with silver at Melbourne in 2007 and behind Espinosa in Rome two years ago.
It looked like she would have to settle for second again as Hu opened up a lead of almost 10 points after three rounds and seemed set to win the title.
But the 15-year-old Hu said nerves had got to her during the final and she blew her lead over her compatriot in the fourth round.
"I felt so nervous that I floundered on dive two and four," she said. "I did not think too much before the last dive, just hoped I could dive at normal level.
"It's a pity that I did not win the gold."
Canadian Meaghan Benfeito finished fourth, the same position she was at the Rome worlds.
The host country has now won all seven diving titles on offer so far in the outdoor pool at the Oriental Sports Center. It has 10 medals overall in diving.
With just three events remaining, China is poised to sweep the diving medals for the first time at the worlds.
Earlier, He Chong and teammate Qin Kai were the top two qualifiers on men's 3-meter, putting the host in position to win more medals in today's final.
