With 7 champions, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals, Guangdong diving team created Guangdong's best record in the diving competitions of the 14th National Games, which ended on September 14.

Nearly 20% of the events at the National Games are held before the opening ceremony, including diving. Guangdong has won gold medals in the men's team event, the women's team event, the men's synchronized 10m platform, the men's single and synchronized 3m springboard, the women's single 10m platform and the women's single 3m springboard.

Getting 7 champions among all the 8 events in diving competitions in Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese diving team has always been considered the "dream team". Therefore, the competition in the National Games has become more intense for the Guangdong diving team.

Quan Hongchan (L) and Xie Siyi of Guangdong Province Delegation parade into the stadium during the opening ceremony for China's 14th National Games in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, Sept. 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

After finishing his "grand slam" in Tokyo Olympics, Xie Siyi became the first to have won three champions in diving competitions in this year’s National Games, and led Guangdong to the seven consecutive championships in the men’s team.

The Tokyo Olympics just ended 40 days ago, so it is difficult for athletes to return to their peak condition. And, after 21-day quarantine back from Tokyo, Xie practiced for merely two days for the National Games. The national team also tries to provide good training conditions for the athletes during the quarantine peiod.

Quan Hongchan, who took part in the national Games for the first time, is only 14 years old, becoming the youngest athleteto take part this time. Quan gave a perfect performance in the women's single 10m platform and won the championship with nearly full marks in the last two dives when facing another 3 Olympic champions. She also led Guangdong women diving team to their first championship in 20 years.

Actually, Guangdong has never won the women's team competition since 2001.There has been no leading figure in women's diving since the retirement of Olympic champion Lao Lishi. After the Tokyo Olympics and the National Games, Quan became a star of the Guangdong diving team. Quan grew up in a small village in Zhanjiang, a coastal city in Guangdong. When she was 7 years old, she entered Zhanjiang City Sports School to practice diving due to her amazing jumping ability.

Quan Hongchan won the championship in the women's 10-meter platform final at the National Games.(Xinhua/Xue Yuge)

Chen Aisen, who missed the championship board in the Tokyo Olympics, had won in the men's team and synchronized 10m platform. He couldn’t help tearing during the award ceremony. " We meet your expectation of men's and women's teams standing together on the highest podium in the National Games eventually. Do you see it? The Guangdong diving team’s spirit will be passed on..." Chen said on social media in memory of his mentor, Wu Guocun, after the match.

What's more, Lin Shan, the champion of women's all-around diving, participated on behalf of Shaanxi Team, but she is also an excellent athlete trained by Guangdong.

Diving is an advantage of Guangdong sports. Since 1950s, Guangdong diving team has created many "first timers". Zheng Guanzhi, Huang Xiuni, Liang Boxi and Li Zhende became the first group of diving athletes in China. Liang Boxi is China's first Asian diving champion. Sun Shuwei is the first Chinese men's diving Olympic champion. Chen Aisen is the first men's platform double gold medalist in Olympics.

In Zhanjiang City Sports School, students are doing diving training. (Xinhua/Zhou Ziyang)

At present, Guangdong has established 13 diving talent bases in Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Zhaoqing and other places, such as sports schools, diving schools and sport clubs. Guangdong diving team train talents from all the province and inspire more young people to choose diving.

In this National's Games, Guangdong has won 13 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze medals in the early competitions so far. In the coming competitions, star athletes like Su Bingtian, Fan Zhendong, Liu Shiwen are also from Guangdong teams.

Author | Emma(intern)

Editor | Will, Alice, Jerry