Chinese diving star Quan Hongchan made a triumphant return to the pool on Nov. 2, teaming up with Wang Weiying to win gold in the women's synchronized 10m platform and help Guangdong province secure the first diving gold of the 15th National Games.
As fellow natives of Zhanjiang, Wang Weiying is four years older than Quan Hongchan. The two have rarely partnered in major competitions, raising questions about their teamwork. However, these doubts were dispelled in the first round. In the 107B dive, their synchronized movements and minimal splashing were outstanding, earning them a high score of 76.5. In the following two rounds, they scored 78.72 and 80.64 points respectively, consistently holding the top spot on the leaderboard. After three rounds, their total score was 235 points. Shanghai's Chen Yuxi and Zhang Minjie also performed admirably, finishing second by a mere 0.9 points.
The Olympic champion, who rose to fame with her stunning performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she claimed the 10m platform gold with three perfect scores, continued to demonstrate her exceptional talent. The 18-year-old diver has consistently delivered remarkable performances in international competitions, establishing herself as one of China's most promising athletes in the sport.
Quan's comeback from a six-month injury absence instantly became one of the highlights of the games, drawing cheers from packed stands. Spectators began queuing as early as 9 am, an hour before the event started. "We tried to get tickets when they first went on sale, but failed. It was pure luck that we managed to get two tickets the night before," said a Guangzhou resident surnamed Lin. After the victory ceremony, Quan happily interacted with fans, accepting stuffed toys tossed from the stands.
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant," teammate Chen Yiwen said of Quan's performance. "Her return brings tremendous confidence to the team."
The stellar diving performances come as Hong Kong confirmed it's fully prepared to host its share of the National Games events. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said tickets for finals in the eight HK-hosted sports are essentially sold out, with over 30% of all 400,000 tickets already purchased.
Law expects the games to bring about 100,000 visitors to HK. The government will arrange for schools and sports organizations to attend events, she added.
The secretary also revealed the government is leaning toward building a dedicated fencing venue in the Northern Metropolis, with a site already identified and preliminary studies underway. Law pledged to seek funding approval within her current term.
From Quan's athletic excellence to HK's thorough preparations, the 15th National Games is demonstrating both top-level competition and organizational professionalism as the sporting spotlight turns to the city.
(Source: Wen Wei Po | English Editor: Wynnea Tian, Liu Yu)
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