Despite the strength of a number of diving nations, there always seemed a certain inevitability about the destination of the gold medals in Kyiv. Like 4 years ago in Penza, and 2 years ago in Kazan, China showed overwhelming supremacy. They picked up 24 medals, including 14 titles on offer (14 – 8 – 2). Team of Great Britain also performed well, getting 3 podium presences (1 – 2 – 0). Canada and Columbia shared high third position, harvesting one title and one bronze a piece.


Photo: credit to Pavlo Kubanov

Individually, Chinese Lai Shiyun was the most victorious diver in the competition with 3 champion titles: in the Girls B 1m, 3m and A&B platform events. Daniel Restrepo Garcia of Columbia turned out to be successful in terms of the rest of the world, winning one gold on the Boys A 3m springboard and one bronze in the synchro event.

The most difficult dive has been registered in the Boys A 3m springboard final. Australian Matthew Carter produced a Forward 2.5 Somersaults Triple Twist pike, which had a DD of 3.9, earning 85.30 points. Excellent 10 points marks were seen just twice, as one of them came to the final of the Boys A10m platform. Lian Junjie of China had the most valuable dive of the competition, a Forward 4.5 Somersaults tuck, which assumed 96.90 points in the Boys A 3m springboard on Competition Day 2.

Comparing to the previous edition of Kazan, 2016, 22nd FINA World Junior Diving Championships highlighted a number of the positive trends and improvements. A&B platform for Boys and Girls have first played medals in Kyiv for the first time, both won by Chinese divers, and w to increase the number of merits set in the game to 17. 230 participants representing 42 countries were a part of the competition as number of medal winning countries reached a baker’s dozen.


Photo: credit to Pavlo Kubanov

Flash quotes

Igor Lysov, Ukranian Diving Federation President:

“22nd FINA World Junior Diving Championships was a success. The competitions turned out to be very spectacular and entertaining. We are very grateful to FINA and personally to FINA President Dr.Julio Maglione for big honor and great opportunity to stage the event. On our part, it was a big pleasure to welcome the world’ elite junior divers in Ukraine, many of whom managed to show competitive diving here. We will be hoping for further fruitful collaboration in the future for the best benefit of the world diving sport.

Kathy Seaman, FINA Diving Technical Committee Honorary Secretary:

“The 22nd FINA World Junior Diving Championships have been outstanding right from the beginning. The number of competing federations is more than ever, and than anticipated, which is always positive for FINA and positive for the sport of diving. The number of athletes is also record, which really has created a wonderful atmosphere for the divers to share their experiences and to share their talent and be able to perform at outstanding level. The results have certainly been positive for China, but surprisingly we have seen some rising divers from other nations, like Romania and Sweden. Canadian, British and US divers did well.

LIKO Sport Center is an iconic pace for diving. It is very particular for our sport, which creates a theater-type venue, where the divers can concentrate on their performances and TV is extremely happy with the picture. I will be absolutely happy to return to Kyiv. I have no doubts, that all the participants and guests of the Championships have appreciated Ukrainian hospitality, which have made it possible to feel here like at home.


Photo: credit to Pavlo Kubanov

Klaus Dibiasi, FINA Diving Technical Committee member:

“Junior diving is growing very fast. The level of competitions is much better than years ago. You can see, that girls are doing almost the same dives as boys, and half of the dives they have never done before. Juniors’ level has been raised significantly, and one of the trends is that the level of difficulty and scores in the B age group is almost the same as in the A category.

Juniors are flexible, and their bodies take loads better, and they are quick, so they can do the most complicated dives, which was well illustrated at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest.

What we saw here, at the 22nd FINA World Junior Diving Championships, was very exciting. The competition level was high, China a little above than the rest.

It is important for FINA, that we are taking care about health and safety of our junior divers. This is why we have set the minimum age for the athletes competing at 14. There is also a new rule, saying “if a diver is too close to the springboard or a platform, the judge could give him 2 points” to warn him and the coach it was too dangerous. We do this to avoid accidents. And, of course, we are striving to proceed developing. We are very open with the dives. If you can do high DD dives, you are welcome. It was a push for development in skills for the divers worldwide, especially Chinese, who have been shining at the 22nd FINA World Junior Championships with some impressive attempts. Nowadays divers train much more than before. This why they are more secure in the execution”.


Photo: credit to Pavlo Kubanov

All medalists in Kyiv. 22nd FINA World Junior DIving Championships.

Mixed Team Event

1. GBR (Thompson Lucas, Harper Yasmin, Hardin Anthony, Cutmore Ben) 318.70, 2. CHN (Long Daoyi, Lin Shan, Wu Luzian, Liu Jialing) 307.50, 3. AUS (Flint Lauren, Fricker Samuel, Koloi Alysha, Carter Matthew) 320.95.

Girls B 1m springboard

1. Lai Shiyun (CHN) 372.75, 2. Hernandez Hailey (USA) 347.45, 3. Kanso Elizaveta (RUS) 343.45

Boys A 3m springboard

1. Restrepo Garcia Daniel (COL) 583.35, 2. Wu Luxian (CHN) 582.50, 3. Lian Junjie (CHN) 570.40

Girls A 1m springboard

1. Ma Tong (CHN) 410.85, 2. Kliueva Uliana (RUS) 398.35, 3. Coburn Maria (USA) 393.05

Girls B platform

1. Liu Jialing (CHN) 378.40, 2. He Yanwei (CHN) 371.20, 3. Kaneto Rin (JPN) 335.95

Boys A&B 3m synchronised springboard

1. CAN McKay Henry/Povzner Victor 300.33, 2. GER Massenberg Lou/ Schone Karl 298.56, 3. COL Restrepo Garcia Daniel/Uribe Bermudez Lius Felipe 290.88

Boys B 1m springboard

1. Long Daoyi (CHN) 466.80, 2. Downs Tyler (USA) 452.35, 3. Olvera Ibarra Osmar (MEX) 413.90

Girls A 3m springboard

1. Lin Shan (CHN) 503.15, 2. Ma Tong (CHN) 487.30, 3. Koloi Alisha (AUS) 432.30


Photo: credit to Pavlo Kubanov

Boys A 1m springboard

1. Wang Zongyuan (CHN) 557.65, 2. Li Zheng (CHN) 526.85, 3. Carter Matthews (AUS) 517.90

Boys B platform

1. Yao Zelin (CHN) 481.85, 2. Wang Zewei (CHN) 481.40, 3. Malofeev Maksim (RUS) 467.85

Girls A/B platform synchronised

1. Lai Shiyun/Liu Jialing (CHN) 314.88, 2. Banks Phoebe/Martin Emily (GBR) 278.79, 3. Muscalu Nicoleta-Angelica/Pavel Antonia-Mihaela (ROM) 265.44

Boys B 3m springboard

1. Long Daoyi (CHN) 474.90, 2. Yao Zelin (CHN) 464.60, 3. Fofana Cedric (CAN) 459.05

Girls A platform

1. Zhang Rui (CHN) 488.70, 2. Lin Shan (CHN) 453.20, 3. Satina Iana (RUS) 425.90

Boys A/B synchronised platform

1. Li Zheng/Lian Junjie (CHN) 328.44, 2. Dixon Matthew/Williams Noah (GBR) 304.65, 3. Naumenko Yevhen/Serbin Oleh (UKR) 304.08

Girls B 3m springboard

1. Lai Shiyun (CHN) 436.80, 2. Hernandez Hailey (USA) 380.80, 3. Nilsson Garip Emilia (SWE) 373.80

Boys A platform

1. Lian Junjie (CHN) 589.30, 2. Ternovoy Ruslan (RUS) 543.90, 3. Li Zheng (CHN) 523.55.

A/B Girls 3m springboard synchronised

1. Ma Tong/Zhang Rui (CHN) 265.50, 2. Kliueva Uliana/Koroleva Vitalina (RUS) 255.00, 3. Kaneto Rin/Yasuda Mai (JPN) 254.28.

MEDALTABLE

1. CHN 14 – 8 – 2 / 24

2. GBR 1 – 2 – 0 / 3

3. CAN 1 – 0 – 1 / 2

4. COL 1 – 0 – 1 / 2

5. RUS 0 – 3 – 3 / 6

6. USA 0 – 3 – 1 / 4

7. GER 0 – 1 – 0 / 1

8. AUS 0 – 0 – 3 / 3

9. JPN 0 – 0 – 2/ 2

10. MEX 0 – 0 – 1 / 1

     ROM 0 – 0 – 1 / 1

     SWE 0 – 0 – 1 / 1

     UKR 0 – 0 – 1 / 1