In the early hours of yesterday morning, in the men's 3-meter springboard final of the 2024 FINA World Swimming Championships at the Hamad Aquatic Center in Doha, Wang Zongyuan, a young man from Hubei, China, won 538won the gold medal with 70 points, completed the third consecutive championship of the World Championships in this individual event, won the sixth gold medal of this event for the Chinese diving team, and also allowed the "dream team" to achieve the tenth consecutive championship of the men's 3-meter springboard World Championships. At the same time, it is gratifying that the 28-year-old veteran Xie Sicheng performed well in the international arena for the first time after his comeback, winning the silver medal, and his return made the Chinese diving team constitute a real double insurance in the men's springboard event at the Paris Olympics.
After winning the men's 3m springboard single and double championships at the Tokyo Olympics, Xie Sicheng achieved the Grand Slam of the Olympics, World Championships and World Cup, and he chose to temporarily leave the national team to rest and adjust. But Xie Sicheng did not choose to retire, but came back in May last year and began systematic training. The two Olympic trials held in Wuhan in late November and early December last year were the first and second matches of Xie Sicheng's comeback, and he won the runner-up, proving that he is still the top men's springboard player in China, and also qualified to represent the Chinese team at the World Championships in Doha. In both races, he lost to his own ** person, Wang Zongyuan, who was born in 2001.
In Doha, Xie Sicheng was ranked first in both the heats and the semi-finals, but in the final, Wang Zongyuan was clearly in better form, suppressing all opponents from the first jump, always ranking first, and maintaining the advantage until the end of the match. Xie Sicheng has no obvious mistakes, good stability, but he has been away from the field for more than two years, he needs more time to adjust, his Olympic championship background is still there, I believe that through the next 5 months of systematic training, he will be able to work with Wang Zongyuan in Paris to firmly build a double insurance for the Chinese team in the men's 3-meter springboard event, and it is also possible to defeat his teammates to win the championship.
Not to mention Wang Zongyuan, it was when the sun was in full swing, he won the World Championships in Budapest and the World Championships in Fukuoka with an absolute advantage, and he was an indispensable key figure for the Chinese team in the single and double 3-meter springboard. In the men's double 3-meter springboard final at the World Championships, he won the gold medal with Ryudoichi and won the championship in the singles competition.
At the Paris Olympics, with the double insurance of Wang Zongyuan and Xie Sicheng in the men's springboard, the Chinese team will most likely defend its title.
Text: Reporter Liu Ailin.
*: Beijing Youth Daily.