2008.8.10 Chinese divers Guo/Wu retain women's 3m springboard synchro

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Chinese divers Guo Jingjing (L) and Wu Minxia pose for picture during the awarding ceremony for women's synchro 3m springboard at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube in Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008. Guo and Wu claimed the title in the event with a score of 343.50 poionts.


BEIJING, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese world and Olympic champion Guo Jingjing took the limelight of the Water Cube, together with her partner Wu Minxia, as they retained the women's three-meter springboard synchronized gold at the Beijing Olympics here on Sunday.

The defending champion Guo/Wu, winner of the event in the 2004 Athens Olympics and three World Championships, took the lead all the way to collect 343.50 points, beating their closest rivals Julia Pakhalina and Anastasia Pozdnyakova of Russia, who posted 323.61, by almost 20 points.

Heike Fischer and Ditte Kotzian of Germany, silver medallist of the event in 2007 Melbourne Worlds, finished third with 318.90.

The Germany pair had trailed the American pair Kelci Bryant and Ariel Rittenhouse in the first three rounds, but they tied the points after the fourth dive, and finally managed to surpass them in the last round.

The American duo, runners-up of the event in 2006 Changshu World Cup and bronze medallist of the event in 2008 "Good Luck Beijing" World Cup, took the fourth in 314.40.

The Chinese always has advantages in the women's 3m springboard, both individual and synchronized.

The "diving queen" Guo, 26, is the four-time world champion in both of the events, while Wu, 22, won three golds in the 3m springboard synchronized in three world championships with Guo, as she missed the 2005 Montreal Worlds.

Wu, runner-up of the women's 3m springboard at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, always trailed Guo in international competitions.

It's Pakhalina's third Olympic Games, who's the winner of the event in 2000 Sydney Olympics and silver medallsit in 2004 Athens Olympics with her former partner Vera Ilyna.

She has paired up with Pozdnyakova since Ilyna's retirement, and the new pair took silver in all legs of the 2008 World Series, in Nanjing, Sheffied and Tijuana station.

Australian Sharleen Stratton and Briony, bronze medallist of the event in 2007 Melbourne Worlds, finished fifth in 311.34.