Chinese divers fail to make clean sweep

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-25 08:57

BEIJING - China failed to complete a clean sweep at the "Good Luck Beijing" 16th FINA Diving World Cup as they let the men's 10-meter platform gold off their hands here on Sunday.


 Germany's Sascha Klein celebrates with his teammate and coach after winning the men's 10-meter platform gold at the "Good Luck Beijing" 16th FINA Diving World Cup in Beijing. [Xinhua]

German Sascha Klein performed fantastically to beat Zhou Luxin and Lin Yue to deny the host a clean sweep.

"I am very happy with the result," said Klein, who had never won a title in major world competitions before. "It's just incredible."

Zhou, silver medalist of the 2007 Melbourne worlds, took the silver at 543.40, while David Boudia brought the United States a bronze with 526.65.

Except the men's 10-meter platform, China won all the other seven golds at the World Cup.

Olympic and world champion pair Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia clinched the women's three-meter springboard synchronized gold breezily Sunday evening.

Guo and Wu completely dominated the final with five wonderful dives to collect 362.10 points. Russian pair Julia Pakhalina and Anastasia Pozdnyakova trailed at 329.61, while Ariel Rittenhouse and Keici Bryant brought the United States a bronze in 322.50.

It's the 22-year-old Wu's second gold at the World Cup that she beat "diving queen" Guo on Saturday's three-meter springboard final to win her first gold.

Wu has just recovered from a series of injuries since 2007, and it was her first victory in two years over Guo.

China also bagged four individual silver medals after the final day's competition. Germany won one gold and one silver.



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