China wins 10m synchronized diving gold
created: 2008-08-12
Chinese teenager divers Lin Yue and Huo Liang clinched the gold of the men's 10-meter platform synchronized at Beijing Olympic Games on Monday.
Lin and Huo, winners of the event in 2007 Melbourne Worlds, led throughout the final to win the second diving gold for China with 468.18 points.
Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein of Germany, silver medallist of the event at 2008 "Good Luck Beijing" World Cup, finished second in 450.42, while the bronze went to Russian Gelb Galperin and Dmitriy Dobroskok in 445.26.
Lin and Huo, 17 and 18 respectively, dominated the final since the first round, and they made an almost perfect dive in the second round by achieving seven 10 points and two 9.5 points.
The Chinese teenagers were almost unbeatable in the World Cup series in 2007, and they claimed the gold in the "Good Luck Beijing" World Cup on February this year.
The Russian pair, silver medallists of the event in 2007 Melbourne Worlds, had trailed the Chinese duo in the first five round, but they were surpassed by the Germans finally.
Klein, 22, is also a hot favorite in the individual platform at Beijing Olympics, as he beat Chinese Zhou Lvxin to win the gold in the event at 2008 World Cup.
Mathew Helm and Robert Newbery of Australia, bronze medallist of the event in 2004 Athens Olympics, finished the fourth in 444.84.
The Australian duo had retired after the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne but came back last year to participate in their third Olympic Games.
Thomas Daley, 14, the youngest of the divers at Beijing Olympic Games, finished the last in 408.48 with his partner Blake Aldridge. It's the 14-year-old's first Olympics, and he is a medal prospect of Britain in London.
It's the powerhouse's second diving gold at Beijing Games, as "diving queen" Guo Jingjing and fellow Wu Minxia took victory in the women's 3m springboard synchronized final on Sunday.
China expects to make a clean sweep in the Water Cube at home soil, and the Chinese divers flexed their muscles by sweeping all eight golds during the last meet of the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Rome earlier on July. Now they have taken the first two gold medals.
China has undisputed domination in diving. The Chinese diving team claimed five golds at 2000 Sydney Olympics and further took a record six at 2004 Athens Olympics, contributing more Olympic golds for China than other Chinese teams.