Chen, Quan win gold at world aquatics championship

Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan of Team China compete in the Women's Synchronised 10 meters Platform Final on Day Three of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan on July 16, 2023. Photo: VCG

 China's female diving aces Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan continued their dominating run in the women's 10-meter platform synchro at international competitions, as the pair secured the championship once again with a total score of 369.84 points, leading the second-place British pair Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson by 58.08 points.

Team China has tallied five gold medals since the diving competitions of the world aquatics championship started on Friday in Fukuoka, Japan, after the solid performances from the pair, who will also participate in the individual competitions on Wednesday.

Earlier on Sunday, 1-meter springboard specialist Peng Jianfeng won the gold medal in the men's competition with 440.45 points, 11.85 points ahead of Osmar Olvera of Mexico.

The female pair led the preliminary round with 365.40 points, a massive 71.28-point gap to second-placed Team USA, who finished the final in third place. 

The victory also means the duo has secured a berth at the diving competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Quan, who rose to fame after winning the Olympic gold medal with Chen in a convincing performance at the Tokyo Games in 2021 when she was only 14 - then the youngest athlete in the Chinese delegation - has been dominating headlines for such an achievement during her teenage years. 

Born and raised in Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong Province, Quan started specialized diving training at the age of 7. She will turn 17 in November.

"Quan's achievements have cemented her status as one of the rising stars in the world of diving, and many see her as a potential dominant force in the sport for years to come," said Wang Li, a Guangzhou-based sports commentator.

Chen, who finished second in the women's individual 10-meter platform to Quan at the Tokyo Olympics, has often been overshadowed by her teammate. 

However, she said the competition between the duo forces themselves to push for better performances.

"Competition is what drives improvement. Because of the constant competition [between us], I continuously push myself to enhance my abilities and skills in all aspects," Chen was quoted as saying by Beijing Youth Daily.

"Diving is primarily a competition against myself. I hope to surpass my previous performances [at the worlds] and make greater progress."

The pair's techniques, particularly the high degree of difficulty and flawless execution, have captivated Chinese audiences, who hail the duo for their "water splash vanishing techniques." Many netizens have flooded the pair's social media accounts on Sina Weibo with congratulations.

The Fukuoka Prefectural Pool is no stranger to the Chinese diving team, as Zhou Jihong, now head of the national diving team, competed at the venue at the 2001 worlds. 

"Twenty-two years ago, we participated in the world championships here. At that time, we had athletes like Guo Jingjing, Wu Minxia and Wang Feng," Zhou told reporters.

"Only Guo, Wang and I have come to Fukuoka this time. I have brought a group of new talents in Chinese diving, while Guo is working with the World Aquatics Diving Technical Committee and Wang is a coach for the national team."

The 2023 Fukuoka aquatics world championships were originally scheduled to be held in Fukuoka in 2021.