China's diving team made its debut at the Chengdu Universiade on Monday, winning gold medals in two events.
In the men's synchronised 3m springboard, divers
Despite initially trailing the German team, Huang and Liang delivered outstanding performances in their final two dives, ultimately claiming the top spot. Germany and Georgia secured the second and third places, respectively. Liang Chaohui said afterward that he wasn't in his best form during the competition but will continue to strive for the gold medal in the coming events.
Meanwhile, in the women's synchronized 10m platform, Zhang Jiaqi and Zhang Minjie also took the gold medal. They accumulated a total of 349.08 points from five dives, outperforming South Korea's Ko Hyeon-ju and Kim Seo-yeon, who scored 242.4 points.
Zhang Jiaqi (bottom) and Zhang Minjie of China compete during the women's synchronised 10m platform final at the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, Sichuan province, July 31, 2023. [Photo by Lun Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]
Zhang Jiaqi is the first Olympic champion from the Chinese delegation to compete in this edition of the Universiade, having claimed gold at the Tokyo Olympics. She said that sports competitions provide an excellent platform for international exchanges, allowing athletes to learn about different cultures and experience diverse customs. She expressed her happiness to be at the Universiade, where everyone is competing for the same dream.
Zhang Minjie said that the pair just finished World Aquatics Championships and had only one week of preparation for the Universiade. Nevertheless, she tried to "outdo herself" and achieved remarkable results.
The diving events at the Chengdu Universiade will feature 73 athletes from 17 countries and regions, competing for a total of 15 gold medals across 13 events.
Zhang Jiaqi (L) and Zhang Minjie of China attend a press briefing after securing the women's synchronised 10m platform title at the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, Sichuan province, July 31, 2023. [Photo by Wang Yiming/China.org.cn]
