The World Aquatics Diving World Cup Finals kicked off on May 1 at the National Aquatics Center “Water Cube” in Beijing, with China sweeping all five gold medals on the opening day in a dominant display.
In the women’s synchronized 10m platform event, Chen Yuxi paired with Lu Wei for her fifth international partner, and the duo delivered a commanding performance to secure the title without any challenge. Chen expressed that changing partners had minimal impact on her, emphasizing her focus on training and competition, and she is now setting her sights on the upcoming Asian Games.
Chen Yuxi and Lu Wei claimed gold in the women’s synchronized 10m platform. Photo by Wang Fei, Beijing News.
Chen Yuxi, competing with her fifth different partner in international events, partnered with Lu Wei after the original partner, Cui Jiaxi, withdrew due to injury a few days before the competition. Both born in 2005, Chen and Lu have shown consistent form on the 10m platform, having taken gold and silver respectively in the women’s individual event at last year’s National Games.
The pair demonstrated exceptional individual technique and team coordination, earning a total of 366.12 points to win the gold, with all five dives scoring the highest among competitors. Chen noted that they completely relaxed on their final dive, a 5253B with a difficulty of 3.2, which earned 90.24 points, including a perfect 10 from two judges.
Lu Wei, who gained early fame by winning the world championship synchronized 10m platform title with Zhang Jiaqi in 2019, said, “When the opportunity comes, the best thing is to seize it.” She added that she approaches every competition seriously and is always prepared.
Chen Yuxi also remarked that regardless of partner or difficulties, she embraces challenges positively and focuses on her own training and performance. “We always maintain a state of readiness, no matter what changes come, everyone is prepared,” she said. This was Chen’s first international competition of the year, and she admitted she hasn’t yet reached peak form due to inconsistent training recovery. “After resting, I love diving even more and can focus better on training,” she said. Looking ahead, she aims to steadily progress towards the Asian Games.
In the women’s synchronized 3m springboard, China fielded another new pair, Chen Yiwen and Chen Jia, who won gold with 331.05 points, the only pair to break 300 points. Chen Yiwen, now 25, said her performance is steadier with age, though training fluctuations remain. She acknowledged a mental slowdown after the Paris Olympics but is working to regain focus for the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.
The men’s synchronized 3m springboard saw Wang Zongyuan and Zheng Jiuyuan cruise to gold, while in the men’s synchronized 10m platform, young duo Zhao Renjie and Yang Zhihao triumphed with 448.68 points, leading the Ukrainian pair by 44.40 points. Despite a slight error on their fifth dive (109C), they dominated with four dives ranking first.
In the mixed team event, China’s quartet of Lin Shan, Liu Chengzan, Lu Wei, and Bai Yuming secured gold with 463.70 points, ahead of silver medalist Mexico and bronze medalist Australia.
With all five gold medals on the first day, the competition continues on May 2, featuring two finals: the men’s individual 3m springboard with Wang Zongyuan and Zheng Jiuyuan, and the women’s individual 10m platform with Jiang Linjing as the sole Chinese competitor after Cui Jiaxi’s withdrawal.
