Junior Diving Worlds 2016, Day 5: China sweeps aways 3 titles on offer

Chen Linhai won 1m springboard battle

Chen Linhai of China celebrated his third trip to the podium, earning his first gold in the Boys A 1m springboard to go with the two silver medals, earned before in 3m synchro and 3m individual springboard. Finishing atop of the prelims, he was just fifth after round #1 in the final, and then gradually improved, posting dives with the high degree of difficulty. The penultimate attempt (inward 2 ½ somersaults pike, 79.90) placed the Chinese first, making a good contribution to his total – 564.65 points.

Russian Nikita Shleikher, 543.65, and Matthew Carter of Australia, 538.45, were the two other men on the podium. Shleikher booked silver early in the final, whereas the Australian had to pass a close competition against the British Jordan Houlden of Great Britain, finishing one step to the bronze, 532.20.

“I feel very well, - said the unemotional Chen. - I am satisfied with my performance. It was not an easy stroll, but I have succeeded and won gold. It goes without saying, that I have enjoyed diving in Kazan. I liked the swimming-pool, which very new and light”.

“It has been a fantastic competition, a very tough one, - specified Matthew Carter. – There are a lot of strong divers, much more than medals on offer. Therefore, I am very happy I have won my second bronze here. The last round turned to be very hard. I tried to do my best, and I don’t think I could have done much better.

1m springboard is harder than 3m, - the Australian added with a smile. - I believe, diving 1m springboard you need more power, and this is why it’s more challenging”.

Yang Ling and his lucky platform

The team China earned their second title to go on competition Day 5 in the Boys B platform.

Yang Ling lead from start to finish both in the prelims and in the final. His supremacy in the evening session was so evident that his eventual win never looked in doubt, as the scores never dipped below 76.60 mark. Yang's best scoring dive – armstand back triple somersault with tuck – earned him a perfect 10 and a number of 9.5s. As a result, the Chinese totaled 527.40, almost 23 points ahead of his Mexican rival Willars Randal.

Russian Ruslan Ternovoy finished third as he managed to recover after the failed third attempt.

“I am not satisfied with the way I dived today, - confessed the bronze medalist afterwards. – Tomorrow there'll come another important event -3m springboard individual, and I will take it as another good chance to win the title. I will do my best in order to play back for today's missed chances as I am the one to blame. My opponents are very strong, but I know I could have done much better”.

“Before this I have never been to any major international championships, so this silver a great achievement for me, - said WIllars Randal of Mexico. I believe, this is a good start. The atmosphere of Kazan is great, and I like the competitions very much”.

“I was pretty sure I can win a medal, - commented on his winning performance Yang Ling of China. - I was well trained and well prepared for the events, this is why I started to execute the dives with a high degree of difficulty early in the prelims. I wanted to demonstrate both to the spectators, opponents and judges, that I was able to do them! I am pretty happy I have won the title, and I still cherish the hope to bring home even more medals from Kazan”.

Spectator stands at the Aquatics Palace of Kazan

Winners showed their sport character

Following their compatriots' winning path, the Chinese girls left no hopes for their challengers in the 3m synchronized springboard diving.

First heading into the final, Lingrui Liu and Chen Huiling proved their claims on gold in the final. They showed consistency and strength, tight spins and clean entries into the water. Earning 70.20 for their back 2 ½ somersaults pike one round before the close, they booked the fifth gold for China at the 21st FINA World Junior Diving Championships in Kazan. Their total of 296.70 is 10.20 points clear of the Australian Jayah Mathews and Georgia Sheehan with silver and at 15.22 points distance of the Russian Ekaterina Nekrasova and Tatiana Stepanova, which placed third.

“The victory is not unexpected, but it was pretty difficult for us to reach it,- said Lingrui Liu. – Gold is a very good result, taking into account, that I was not in my best shape and my old injury remined of itself”.

“This is our first medal as a duo, we had been training together with Tatiana just for a month before the Junior Worlds in Kazan, - admitted Ekaterina Nekrasova of Russia. – Actually, this was my debut on the synchro springboard, and I had been very much worried about it. I am happy now, that everything turned out to be so well, and I am grateful to my teammate and our coaches”.

“I am very much excited both with the competitions and with the result we have achieved, - emphasized Jayah Mathews of Australia. - Together with my partner Georgia we have been diving for 6 months only, so synchro is comparatively new for us. We have done a great job, which was rewarded by silver medal”.

Competition results. 21st FINA World Junior Diving Championships.
Day 5

Boys A 1m springboard
1. Chen Linhai (CHN), 564.65
2. Nikita Shleikher (RUS), 543.65
3. Matthews Carter (AUS), 538.45
4. Jordan Houlden (GBR), 532.20
5. Grayson Campbell (USA), 504.70
6. Francesco Porco (ITA), 490.85
7. Gregory Duncan (USA), 475.35
8. Daniel Restrepo Garcia (COL), 472.30
9. Gwendal Bisch (FRA), 465.85
10. Lou Massenberg (GER), 464.70
11. Jonathan Suckow (SUI), 459.55
12. Anthony Harding (GBR), 452.25

Boys B platform

1. Yang Ling (CHN), 527.40
2. Willars Randal (MEX), 504.70
3. Ruslan Ternovoy (RUS), 461.35
4. Yevhen Naumenko (UKR), 437.35
5. Alexey Sorokin (RUS), 434.30
6. Nikita Kryvopyshyn (UKR), 431.15
7. Bermeo Abraham (MEX), 426.20
8. Owen Harrison (GBR), 421.70
9. Bryden Robert Hattie (CAN), 415.10
10. Maxwell Flory (USA), 393.35
11. Anderson Ramirez Posada (COL), 363.35
12. Victor Perez Ortega (ESP), 339.50

Girls A&B 3m synchronised springboard

1. China, 297.70
2. Australia, 286.50
3. Russia, 279.48
4. Canada, 275.25
5. Great Britain, 261.69
6. Mexico, 261.18
7. Germany, 258.90
8. USA, 255.57
9. Ukraine, 248.52
10. Switzerland, 247.41
11. Norway, 246.81
12. Colombia, 232.56
13. South Africa, 231.42
14. Belarus, 230.76
15. Italy, 229.44