Sports
Olympics
Beijing 2008
China continue to shine
Afp, Beijing
Three In Three: The Chinese pair of Wang Xin (R) and Chen Roulin sets off for a perfect landing to win the gold in the women's 10m synchronised platform diving at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing yesterday. It was the hosts' third gold in diving. Photo: AFPWang Xin gave herself a sixteenth birthday present to remember with an Olympic gold medal in the women's synchronised 10-metre platform competition on Tuesday as China claimed their third straight win in the diving pool.Along with her 15-year-old partner Chen Roulin, Wang, who turned 16 on Monday, saw the hosts continue their dominance in the Water Cube's diving pool after victories in the men's synchronised 10m platform on Monday and the women's thre-metre synchronised springboard on Sunday.With short haircuts and baby-faced features, the two schoolgirls look barely old enough to be allowed out unaccompanied in China's capital city, let alone able to dominate an Olympic diving event."It is a very happy day for me, my friends gave me a lot of presents for my birthday and now my dive partner has given me friendship and a gold medal," said Wang.The teenagers have their daily scheduled planned meticulously by coaches who have drilled them to treat every competition the same - even an Olympics."We have a whole programme planned for us which includes what time we get up and when we train," said Wang."This is all decided by our coaches, we were told we shouldn't give too much focus on the Olympics, just treat it like any other competition and be relaxed."But when the pair were asked by a Chinese journalist about their matching boy-like haircuts, Wang swiftly clarified their appearance for him."I can assure you, we are still girls," she replied sharply.Despite their tender years, their technical diving dominated the field and continued China's bid for a clean-sweep as they now have three gold medals from the eight diving events.Wang changed her name from the Chinese for 'weakness' recently, but the pair have forged into a strong partnership after barely a year together.Chen won the gold at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne with her former partner Jia Tong before teaming up with Wang in 2007 and the duo have already won several titles including the World Cup in February this year.Chinese divers have now dominated the women's synchronised 10m platform event since it was introduced at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.In Beijing, Wang and Chen led from the first of the five dives, building a huge lead to finish nearly 30 points ahead of silver medallists Briony Cole and Melissa Wu of Australia.The Chinese claimed the gold with 363.54 points, Australia's Cole and Wu took silver with 335.16 and Mexico's Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz grabbed bronze with 330.06.Having picked up a single perfect 10 score from the nine judges for both their first and second dives - the only two full-mark scores awarded in the competition - the Chinese were never threatened.The Australian pair of Wu and Cole, who won silver in front of their home crowd at the 2007 World Championships, moved into second place after the third round and retained their grip on that position from there on in.
One of several CNG filling stations between Kanchpur Bridge and Jatrabari of the capital which BNP big shots built on the Kutubkhali canal, drastically reducing Dhaka's drainage capability. PHOTO: STAR
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Olympics
Beijing 2008
China continue to shine
Afp, Beijing
Three In Three: The Chinese pair of Wang Xin (R) and Chen Roulin sets off for a perfect landing to win the gold in the women's 10m synchronised platform diving at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing yesterday. It was the hosts' third gold in diving. Photo: AFPWang Xin gave herself a sixteenth birthday present to remember with an Olympic gold medal in the women's synchronised 10-metre platform competition on Tuesday as China claimed their third straight win in the diving pool.Along with her 15-year-old partner Chen Roulin, Wang, who turned 16 on Monday, saw the hosts continue their dominance in the Water Cube's diving pool after victories in the men's synchronised 10m platform on Monday and the women's thre-metre synchronised springboard on Sunday.With short haircuts and baby-faced features, the two schoolgirls look barely old enough to be allowed out unaccompanied in China's capital city, let alone able to dominate an Olympic diving event."It is a very happy day for me, my friends gave me a lot of presents for my birthday and now my dive partner has given me friendship and a gold medal," said Wang.The teenagers have their daily scheduled planned meticulously by coaches who have drilled them to treat every competition the same - even an Olympics."We have a whole programme planned for us which includes what time we get up and when we train," said Wang."This is all decided by our coaches, we were told we shouldn't give too much focus on the Olympics, just treat it like any other competition and be relaxed."But when the pair were asked by a Chinese journalist about their matching boy-like haircuts, Wang swiftly clarified their appearance for him."I can assure you, we are still girls," she replied sharply.Despite their tender years, their technical diving dominated the field and continued China's bid for a clean-sweep as they now have three gold medals from the eight diving events.Wang changed her name from the Chinese for 'weakness' recently, but the pair have forged into a strong partnership after barely a year together.Chen won the gold at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne with her former partner Jia Tong before teaming up with Wang in 2007 and the duo have already won several titles including the World Cup in February this year.Chinese divers have now dominated the women's synchronised 10m platform event since it was introduced at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.In Beijing, Wang and Chen led from the first of the five dives, building a huge lead to finish nearly 30 points ahead of silver medallists Briony Cole and Melissa Wu of Australia.The Chinese claimed the gold with 363.54 points, Australia's Cole and Wu took silver with 335.16 and Mexico's Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz grabbed bronze with 330.06.Having picked up a single perfect 10 score from the nine judges for both their first and second dives - the only two full-mark scores awarded in the competition - the Chinese were never threatened.The Australian pair of Wu and Cole, who won silver in front of their home crowd at the 2007 World Championships, moved into second place after the third round and retained their grip on that position from there on in.
One of several CNG filling stations between Kanchpur Bridge and Jatrabari of the capital which BNP big shots built on the Kutubkhali canal, drastically reducing Dhaka's drainage capability. PHOTO: STAR
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