Jump starting the cycle

This Saturday, against the backdrop of Singapore's towering skyline, China's all-conquering diving team is hoping to hit even greater heights at the World Aquatics Championships.

For the nation's diving "Dream Team", it will be a 19th appearance on the world stage and the first major test of the new Olympic cycle following its heroics in Paris.

At this pivotal moment of transition, the perennial powerhouse is facing a test of not just skill, but of depth and resilience. Fourteen athletes will compete across all 13 diving events, blending experience with fresh young talent.

With Olympic champions Quan Hongchan and Chang Yani sidelined by injuries, 30-year-old veteran Cao Yuan steps into his seventh world championships as the team's anchor, while teenagers Zhao Renjie, 14, and Xie Peiling, 15, prepare to make their international debuts.

On one side stand battle-tested champions; on the other, a rising generation eager to step into the diving spotlight.

Beijing, Rio, Tokyo and Paris — at every stop, Cao has proved himself as China's most versatile diver, winning four Olympic gold medals from both the platform and the springboard. In Singapore, it's the latter that will be his focus.

After clinching gold in the men's 10m platform at the Paris Olympics, Cao took a six-month break. Returning to training in March, he has responded to the national team's strategic needs, shifting focus back to the springboard where he found success earlier in his career — a move requiring painstaking adjustments to his technique.

"For springboard divers, syncing with the board is critical," Cao said after a recent team test. "Every step must be carefully controlled in pace and rhythm. Only then can your takeoff feel effortless."