China eyeing sweep of gold medals in diving at London Games - Washington Post

BEIJING â€" There is always room for improvement. Ask the Chinese divers, who won seven out of eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Look out London!

“We want to perform better,” said Zhou Jihong, head coach for China’s national diving team, though she did not say a sweep at the upcoming games should be the goal, at least not publicly. “By performing better, we do not mean the results but we want to leave no regret behind.”

For the past two decades, the Chinese have reigned supreme in diving. The nation won six golds at the 2004 Athens Games and five at 2000 Sydney Olympics. At last year’s world championships in Shanghai, China swept the gold medals for the first time.

This year, China might be even closer to the ultimate achievement, for its drivers now top the FINA world rankings in all eight events.

“China is top dog in their sport. Everyone in the diving community knows they’re one of the best. They’re planning on sweeping,” U.S. diver David Boudia said.

Zhou downplayed the expectations while talking up the challenges for her team.

“We are confident in every category, but we know there are difficulties, with the biggest challenge in men’s 10-meter platform,” she said.

That was the lone miss in Beijing â€" courtesy of Australian diver Matthew Mitcham.

China plans to send top-ranked 19-year-old Qiu Bo and 21-year-old Lin Yue to London to compete on platform.

“I plan to do my six dives well,” Lin said. “It won’t be about the scores, but that I finish the six dives within my control. I will not overthink about the scores. The more you think, the more pressure you get.”

Wu Minxia, one of China’s best-known athletes, will again be favored to win women’s 3-meter springboard. China has dominated this event since 1988, winning gold in the past six consecutive Olympics.

“I will do my best on every dive,” said Wu, who competed in Beijing and Athens but was overshadowed by teammate Guo Jingjing, who retired in 2011.

Defending women’s platform champion Chen Ruolin will be in London, while He Chong will compete on men’s 3-meter.

“The Chinese are great, and they almost got (a sweep) last time around, and they’re absolutely phenomenal divers,” American diver Cassidy Krug said. “But every one of us is going to gun for those medals. Every one of us wants to win, so we’re all going to go there and bring our best dives and we’ll see.”

The Chinese divers excel in consistency and deliver perfect dives with little splash, even if they do not always go for the highest degree of difficulty.

“Their margin of error is so small, which I feel like that’s the reason that they’re always on the podium,” U.S. diver Kristian Ipsen said.

The Chinese divers â€" spotted as children for their potential talent â€" start training at early age within a state-run competitive sports system.

Zhou, an Olympic gold medalist, also attributed China’s success to generations of divers and perseverance.

“We have accumulated experience,” she said. “We persevere in training. Never give up.”

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Associated Press Writers Eddie Pells and Betsy Blaney contributed to this report.

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