Centurions reach magical milestone
Team China’s all-conquering divers surpass 100 gold medals at worlds
I was informed I would replace my teammate yesterday, I was surprised but also very happy because I felt it was a chance to win one more medal.”
BUDAPEST — On a remarkable day for Team China, the sport’s dominant power claimed a milestone 100th diving gold medal at the FINA World Championships at Budapest’s Duna Arena.
Later on Wednesday, the tally hit 102 as the unstoppable Chinese divers extended their perfect record from the seven events at the meet so far with two more convincing victories.
The honor of claiming the historic 100th gold went to teenage pair Quan Hongchan and Bai Yuming when they triumphed in the mixed 3-meter and 10-meter team event.
“I’m so happy to win the gold, especially as it was the 100th for the Chinese team,” said worlds debutant Bai, who contributed three dives — two off the 10m platform and one off the 3m springboard.
“The mixed team event is a little similar to the individual event, but I feel it was more difficult. I did better on the springboard, but as for the platform, I was too nervous and it wasn’t so good,” the 15-year-old boy added.
The duo topped the standings from the first dive to the last, finishing with 391.40 points to secure the gold. French divers Jade Gillet and Alexis Jandard took silver (358.50), while British pair Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and James Heatly claimed bronze (357.60).
Olympic gold medalist Quan, also 15 years old, who replaced another Olympic champion, Zhang Jiaqi, to compete in the event, topped the podium for the first time at the worlds.
“I was satisfied with my performance today, especially on the platform because that’s my main discipline,” said Quan, who took silver behind compatriot Chen Yuxi in the 10m platform on Monday.
“I was informed I would replace my teammate yesterday. I was surprised but also very happy because I felt it was a chance to win one more medal,” Quan added.
Li Yajie claimed China’s next gold, in the women’s 1m springboard, before Lin Shan and Zhu Zifeng won the mixed 3m synchronized final.
Powerhouse China has now won 102 of the available 158 diving gold medals in the championships’ history — representing 65 percent of the total. Russia (excluding the Soviet Union era) and the United States follow on 13 world titles each.
China has collected at least one diving gold medal at each of the last 14 world championships and won 12 of the 13 titles at the previous edition in 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea.
In the women’s 1m springboard final, the 19-year-old Li came back from a poor third dive which left her in second place behind Canada’s Mia Vallee. Li delivered two flawless dives in the fourth and fifth rounds to grab the gold with 300.85 points.
“I was a little nervous in the preliminary round this morning since it was my first time at the world championships,” Li said.
“But some experienced teammates and coaches helped me a lot as they taught me how to relax during the competition,” she added, singling out the mentorship of multiple Olympic champion Shi Tingmao as particularly helpful.
Li’s victory also marked a recordextending seventh world title for China in this event.
Sarah Bacon of the US beat Vallee with the last dive to claim silver with 276.65, a mere 0.05 points ahead of the Canadian. The 25-yearold American also won silver at the 2019 worlds in Gwangju, behind another Chinese diver, Chen Yiwen.
Three-time Youth Olympic champion Lin and worlds rookie Zhu led in every round in the mixed 3m synchronized — the last final of the day — to wrap up the seventh diving gold for China in the Hungarian capital.
“Both of us performed very well today, especially my teammate Zhu. It was his first international meet, but he didn’t get stage fright,” said the 20-year-old Lin, who won her first worlds title three years ago in the mixed 3m and 10m team event.
The duo finished with 324.15 points to top the standings, beating second-placed Italians Chiara Pellacani and Matteo Santoro by 30.60 points. British pair Grace Reid and Heatly overtook a Mexican duo in the last round to grab the bronze with a total of 287.61.
Meanwhile, in the open water swimming, Dutch athlete Sharon Van Rouwendaal (2:02:29.20) won the women’s 10km, with Gregorio Paltrinieri and Domenico Acerenza completed an Italian 1-2 in the men’s 10km, in 1:50:56.80 and 1:50:58.20 respectively.
In the overall medals table at the Budapest worlds, China was in second place by Wednesday night with 12 golds, sandwiched between the US (17) and Italy (eight).
Quan Hongchan, after winning China’s 100th diving gold medal at the worlds