World and Olympic champion diver Guo Jingjing shined at the 2008 National Diving Championships in Hefei, Central China on Sunday as she ruled the women's three-meter synchronized springboard event.
As the 2008 National Diving Championships serves as the last Olympic qualifier for the synchronized events, the Chinese diving icon didn't play the individual events, and the women's 3m springboard synchro was her only performance here.
"Until now, we still don't know who will play the Olympic Games in synchro," said Guo, 27. "As the Olympic Games is coming, there are not too much time left, so we need to train harder and harder."
The 27-year-old Guo breezily held her reign in springboard synchro with her old partner Wu Minxia, the Shanghai veteran, by winning the 3m synchro event at 2008 National Diving Championships.
The springboard specialist has taken part in a series of competitions in recent days, and her performances were always steady and quite good.
"I played lots of competitions since the beginning of 2008," said Guo. "I cannot say I don't feel tired, but it is not a big deal."
The "Diving queen" clinched the gold of the women's 3m springboard at the National Olympic trial in Jinan in January this year, and then she took part in the "Good Luck Beijing" 16th FINA World Cup on February and won a gold of the 3m springboard synchro with Wu and a silver of the 3m springboard.
Soon after the World Cup, Guo participated the FINA Grand Prix in Shenzhen and claimed the women's 3m springboard crown there on March. 2.
"There are still lots of competitions I will take part in before the Olympic Games," said the gold medalist. "I will take each of them as a good chance to get better prepared for the Olympics."
Guo showed her absolute dominance on Sunday's qualifier that she and her partner Wu were never challenged by their opponents in the final. Their winning mark was 348.00 points.
Fang Min of Sichuan, gold medalist in the women's 1m springboard at the National Diving Championships on Thursday, trailed at 323.40 with her partner Hou Yuanyuan to finish second.
He Zi and Dong Jun of Guangdong collected 322.50 to take the bronze.
"I am satisfied with our performance today," said Guo, winner of the women's 3m springboard individual event at 2007 Melbourne Worlds. "We synchronized well and made five good dives."
"Talking about the Olympic Games, I can't promise anything," added the 27-year-old." Everything is possible, and what I can do is to perform my best."
The 27-year-old, currently the eldest women athlete in the Chinese diving history, started her diving career when she was five.
At the age 15, Guo made her Olympic debut in Atlanta, finished fifth in women's ten-meter platform. Guo won her first Olympic title in Athens 2004 when she was 23.
Guo had crowned the world champion in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 diving Worlds. She has become the first diver who claimed four victories consecutively in one event at the World Championships.
(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2008)