China Dominates FINA Diving Grand Prix Stop in Madrid, Spain

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, February 21. CHINA blitzed to win six out of the eight titles on offer in Madrid (ESP), the first meet of the FINA Diving Grand Prix 2011 held from February 18-20. The non-Chinese victories went to Canada's Jennifer Abel and Illya Kvasha from Ukraine in the women's and men's 3m springboard, respectively.

Preventing a total Chinese sweep in the men's field, Kvasha shared the podium with Shixin Li from China (second) and Brazil's Cesar Castro (third). In the platform competition, Yuan Cao (CHN) had an outstanding final, leaving the silver for compatriot Luxin Zhou while Oleksandr Bondar (UKR) claimed third spot.

In the synchronised events, China prevailed, with Cao and Yanquan Zhang finishing first in the 10m platform. The Russian pair Victor Minibaev/Ilya Zakharov took silver and Cubans Jose G. Oliva and Jenklen A. Manso completed the podium. On the lower board, Zhiyi Sun and Longji Yu bested Zakharov, who paired this time with Eugeny Kuznetsov (second), and Kvasha, competing with partner Oleksiy Prygorov (third).

Among women, Canada, which has a formidable reputation for grooming excellent divers, and therefore remains one of China's strongest rivals, confirms its status with the gold earned by Jennifer Abel in the 3m springboard. 2010 winner in the event Han Wang (CHN) had to settle for the silver while Sweden's "veteran" Anna Lindberg was happy with a bronze-medal finish. Wang (pairing with Quilin Zheng) also won the 3m synchro event.

Meanwhile, teammate Sinou Ma registered a clear win in the platform event and scooping the silver medal behind her was another young Chinese diving prospect, Tingting Ke. Australia's Hannah Thek placed third. In the synchro same event, the pairing Huixia Liu/Jiaming Zhu claimed the gold, Canada's Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion were second while Alina Chaplenko and Iuliia Prokopchuk (UKR) secured the minor medal.

MEDALLISTS IN MADRID (ESP)
Men
3m springboard: 1. Illya Kvasha (UKR) 497.00; 2. Shixin Li (CHN) 483.35; 3. Cesar Castro (BRA) 469.45
10m platform: 1. Yuan Cao (CHN) 576.30; 2. Luxin Zhou (CHN) 538.05; 3. Oleksandr Bondar (UKR) 500.60
3m springboard synchro: 1. Zhiyi Sun/Longji Yu (CHN) 430.86; 2. Eugeny Kuznetsov/Ilya Zakharov (RUS) 425.70; 3. Illya Kvasha/Oleksiy Prygorov (UKR) 415.08
10m platform synchro: 1. Yuan Cao/Yanquan Zhang (CHN) 460.95; 2. Victor Minibaev/Ilya Zakharov (RUS) 439.59; 3. Jose G. Oliva/Jenklen A. Manso (CUB) 381.66

Women
3m springboard: 1. Jennifer Abel (CAN) 357.45; 2. Han Wang (CHN) 344.35; 3. Anna Lindberg (SWE) 333.45
10m platform: 1. Sinou Ma (CHN) 408.55; 2. Tingting Ke (CHN) 374.80; 3. Hannah Thek (AUS) 307.00
3m springboard synchro: 1. Han Wang/Quilin Zheng (CHN) 320.10; 2. Nadezda Bazhina/Svetlana Phillppova (RUS) 297.36; 3. Olena Fedorova/Anna Pysmenska (UKR) 289.20
10m platform synchro: 1. Huixia Liu/Jiaming Zhu (CHN) 346.92; 2. Meaghan Benfeito/Roseline Filion (CAN) 319.83; 3. Alina Chaplenko/Iuliia Prokopchuk (UKR) 296.52

2011 FINA DIVING GRAND PRIX CALENDAR
February 18-20 Madrid ESP
February 24-26 Penza RUS
April 28-May 1 Montreal CAN
May 5-8 Fort-Lauderdale USA
May 27-29 Rostock GER
June 10-12 Bolzano ITA

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