Guo, Jia dive for gold medal
(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-01 10:17

Guo Jingjing made a splash in Shanghai on New Year's Eve, winning the women's synchronized 3-meter spring board at the China International Diving Grand Prix.

China's ailing Olympic gold medalist Guo Jingjing made a splash at the Shanghai Aquatic Center on New Year's Eve, winning the women's synchronized three-meter spring board event at the China International Diving Grand Prix.

Guo teamed up with Jia Dongjin to clinch victory in the afternoon session of Saturday’s proceedings while battling a bad cold. The duo from Hebei Province beat the home favorite Wu Minxia and Yao Xinyi in a final that split the two pairs by only two points.

The judges gave Guo and Jia a rating of 76 while Wu and Yao settled for a 74.

Later in the day, Shanghai's Huo Liang emerged as the winner in the men's 10-meter platform event, seizing his second victory at the two-day tournament.

The teenager, along with his partner Ying Hong, grabbed the gold medal in the 10-meter platform synchronized event on Friday.

Guo and Wu linked up to finish second to none in the women's three-meter synchronized springboard event last year in Athens but were on different ends of the competition yesterday.

Coaches on the national team confirmed that the Olympic-winning partnership will not be restored as more young Chinese divers come up to grab a share of the limelight.

Jia, Guo's new teammate, for example, showcased her strength at this tournament. The teenage diver from Hebei almost upstageds Wu in the women's three-meter springboard event on Friday, conceding defeat in the final by a slim margin of less than two points.

"We are not much worried about the 2008 Olympic Games because the new generation of divers has caught up very quickly," said Zhou Jihong, the national diving team head coach.