Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

A new diving era of China
By Chen Xiangfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-12-24 09:13

For China's diving team, nothing speaks louder of their "dream team" aura than the results during the Athens Olympics.


China's Tian Liang dives in a preliminary round of ten metre platform diving at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 27, 2004. [Reuters]
The traditional diving powerhouse, which won five gold medals at the Sydney Olympic Games four years ago, justified it can still call itself the "Dream Team" by winning six gold medals in Athens.

But for a stunning last diving blunder from Peng Bo and Wang Kenang in men's synchronized springboard, which handed the gold to a Greek pair, China could have swept an unprecedented 7 gold medals.

Chantelle Newbery of Australia staged a surprise win in the women's 10m platform final when she beat two Chinese favorites Lao Lishi and Li Ting.

To a team that was under great pressure after a lacklustre performance at last year's Barcelona World Championships, a marked improvement at Athens was all but timely to help boost the team's confidence to fend off the growing number of rivals.

At Barcelona the squad took only four titles, a shocking result that plunged them into deep soul-searching.

The dilemma between demanding a higher degree of difficulty and maintaining consistency of technique has hampered the team as foreign divers, with help from overseas Chinese coaches, have frequently bettered China.

"I am so happy. I didn't expect we could be so successful at these Games because there are a lot of strong opponents," said Chinese team leader Zhou Jihong, women's platform winner at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics after the Athens Olympics.

"Diving in other parts of the world is developing really fast and China can no longer enjoy comfortable wins in competitions," Zhou said.

"We just accomplished a hard task and the outcome was surprisingly good. I am proud of my athletes and thank the coaches for their hard work," she added.

Under-fire Zhou, did have reason to be relieved.

At the Athens World Cup in February, the most important test in the international pool before the Athens Games, the star-studded squad garnered five gold among the eight events and China finished first in the medal standings, but it was still considered less than stellar for failing to avenge the big blow they suffered last July in Barcelona.

Fortunately, China did not make any more mistakes at Athens.

"The fierce competition requires the divers not to make mistakes. Many foreign athletes are able to handle very difficult dives well now and the one who makes least mistake during the competition will be the winner," said Zhou.

Dazzling couple

Once again, China's glorious divers won nationwide cheers when they returned from Athens.


Guo Jingjing of China dives on her way to winning the gold medal in the 3 metre women's springboard final at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 26, 2004. [Reuters]
Men's ace Tian Liang and women's leader Guo Jingjing, winning three gold medals between them, made the headlines after spending three months on red-carpet celebrations and numerous commercial promotions.

"After the Olympics, I will definitely leave the pool for some time," said Tian before Athens. "No one can imagine what pressure I have been through these many years, so I want to have some fun after the Games," said the three-time Olympian.

"Then I will see whether I still want to be back," he said.

Tian Liang, the 25-year-old who won the men's synchronized platform title at Athens but lost the singles event to teammate Hu Jia, did not see his popularity slump thanks to his healthy and star-like image.

His shining smile has made him the favourite among fans and advertisers.

24-year-old Guo finally saw her Olympic dream come true by taking both titles in the 3m springboard and synchronized dives, establishing herself as the new queen of diving in the post Fu Mingxia era. Fu is a four-time Olympic champion.

With their fame, good looks and the rumors of romance between them, they combined to popularize China's diving.

And the money followed.

Tian has been a pitchman for Amway and Bausch & Lomb since his victory in Sydney while Guo, with her adorable good looks, won sponsorship deals with fast-food chain McDonald's and Budweiser after she bagged two silver four years ago.

The pair also took part in a TV commercial for a Chinese beverage company, swiggling an energy drink.

Since then, the pair have been linked with a play on their names, "Liang Jingjing," meaning "bright and shining."

And then more unexpected came.

The Nanjing Morning News reported that Tian was in talks with the Hong Kong recording giant Emperor Entertainment Group as the diving prince looked ready to throw himself into a performing career.

It was reported later the Hong Kong actress Carina Lau invited him to take part in a movie.

Meanwhile Guo, pitching the cosmetic brand Red Earth based in Hong Kong, seemed to develop a new romance with Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, the grandson of Hong Kong business tycoon Henry Fok.

Eyes on 2008

But with 2008 Beijing Olympics four years later, there are concerns if the pair will keep focused on their diving.

When the Chinese team called up the divers to winter training camp after two months of rest in November, both Guo and Tian did not return on time.

But speculations disappeared until the two came back to train again three month after Olympics.

"I am determined to carry on until the Beijing Olympics," said Guo. "The future is unpredictable to me. I just want to give 100 per cent."

The pair showed up simultaneously in their respective local training sites in Shaanxi and Hebei on December 1, a month later than their national teammates did.

"Social activities made me more tired than training and I am fed up with those made-up stories," said Guo.

"All I want to do now is to find my form again and I believe I will be in good state soon," she said.

"I love the feeling standing on the springboard. I will do everything to keep diving," she said.

Tian, more than 1,000 kilometres away, echoed Guo's view.

"I asked for a half-year leave but I find that I miss diving very much merely three months away from the diving pool," he said.

"I thought I needed a rather long time to rest after 18 years of diving but it turned out I want to keep on," he added.



 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Large oil reserves found in Bohai bay

 

   
 

Taiwan separatists not to be tolerated

 

   
 

China to invest more into basic research

 

   
 

Putin: Is US trying to isolate Russia?

 

   
 

Hu, Chavez see deals inked

 

   
 

Island province planning cross-sea bridge

 

   
  Veteran Hao Haidong to join Blades for a quid
   
  A new diving era of China
   
  Bobcats beat Rockets in first-ever road win
   
  Artest's season-long suspension upheld
   
  Once Caldas ex-coach injured in firearm attack
   
  Cuba advance to next phase for Gold Cup
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 高h全肉动漫在线观看最新| 中国美女一级毛片| 朋友把我玩成喷泉状| 日韩人妻潮喷中文在线视频| 免费**毛片在线播放视| 最新黄色网址在线观看| 日本处888xxxx| 免费国产成人α片| 2020国产精品永久在线| 成人爽爽激情在线观看| 亚洲av成人一区二区三区| 男人强行被开发尿孔漫画| 国产精品久久久久免费a∨| 一个色中文字幕| 欧美国产成人精品一区二区三区 | 中文字幕一区二区三区四区| 欧美丰满大乳高跟鞋| 国产三级无码内射在线看| 114级毛片免费观看| 女人扒开屁股爽桶30分钟| 久久久久久不卡| 永久黄网站色视频免费| 四虎国产精品永久免费网址| 91午夜精品亚洲一区二区三区| 日本特交大片免费观看| 免费国产成人午夜在线观看| 蜜桃麻豆WWW久久囤产精品| 国产精品va一级二级三级| 中国一级全黄的免费观看| 欧美欧美欧美欧美| 国产亚洲精彩视频| 99热精品久久只有精品| 日韩高清在线中文字带字幕| 全免费a级毛片免费看不卡 | 无上神帝天天影院| 亚洲爆乳精品无码一区二区 | 亚洲另类春色校园小说| 美女扒开尿口让男人插| 国产精品视频第一区二区三区| 久久se精品一区精品二区| 毛片免费vip会员在线看|