Diving: Champions tour moves to Shanghai
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-05-21 09:36

After the success of the first leg of the Champions Diving Tour in Zhuhai, China's national diving team travelled to Shanghai for the second leg which starts today.

The second leg marks the last domestic public appearance before the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

The three-day event is considered an important test for national divers.

"With less than 100 days to the start of the Olympics, all the divers are testing their Olympic routines at the tour," said Li Hua, vice-president of the Chinese Swimming Association.

The national divers will compete against the top competitors from Australia and Canada including Australian veterans Mathew Helm and Robert Newbery, and Canadian world champion Alexandre Despatie.

"China's divers are the best of the world. I have been watching their performances since I was a kid. I have great respect for them," said Despatie.

But more attention is focused on noted local divers like Tian Liang and Guo Jingjing.

World and Olympics champion Tian was in spectacular form in Zhuhai, producing two perfect scores of ten from all the judges on his last two dives to win the 10m platform final.

In the women's 3m springboard, world champion Guo will be looking for revenge against compatriot Wu Minxia, who beat her in the Zhuhai tour.

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