BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- 14-year-old Lu Wei from Sichuan province, emerging as dark horse, claimed victory in women's 10m platform at the 2019 Chinese National Diving Championships and the second qualifier for World Swimming Championships on Friday.
In the competition, Lu was a bit shaky in the first two dives, but performed quite strongly in the last three combinations, winning the gold in a total of 421.25 points with two full scores for 207C move.
Zhang Minjie of Shanghai took the silver in 413.45 points while Chen Yuxi came in third with 404.05 points. Si Yajie ended up fourth with 397.45 points and Zhang Jiaqi, who wrapped up two gold medals at the FINA Diving World Cup 2018, finished sixth.
"This is my first national championship. I delivered my best performance and scored the highest points. I am supper happy and excited," said Lu after the competition.
After two qualifiers, the famous diver Si Yajie and the rising star Chen Yuxi tied for first place in ranking points. According to the selection criteria, they both are believed to secure the ticket to the World Swimming Championships.
"It was a high-level event, essential for the World Swimming Championships. I was very nervous and had some lapses in the first place. Then I gradually found my rhythm back in 207C, which I failed to perform in the doubles yesterday," revealed Si Yajie, who was the 2013 world champion and runner-up in the Rio Olympic Games.
The 2019 Chinese National Diving Championships and the second qualifier for World Swimming Championships will be held from April 17 to April 23 in Chongqing municipality. A total of 239 athletes from 20 teams across the country will compete in 17 events.
