Women's platform: Wang completes diving sweep

Wang Xin rounded off China's perfect score in the diving competition at Doha 2006 by winning gold in the women's 10m platform on Thursday 14 December at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. By winning all gold medals on offer, China have now also completed their ninth successive clean sweep in Asian Games diving competitions.

Although they are both only 14 years old, Wang defeated her more experienced compatriot Chen Ruolin - who won the 2006 Grand Prix Super Final in Mexico - by a margin of just 1.15 points in a close competition.

Wang took a 10 point lead in round two when her inward three-and-a-half somersaults, tuck position, scored 91.20 points. Chen responded with the same score in the next round, but she could only reduce the gap by less than two points.

"I felt a bit nervous tonight so I didn't do well in the first three dives," admitted Wang after the competition. "I made several small mistakes, but in the last two dives I finished successfully."

In round five, Wang received 79.90 points for her back two-and-a-half somersaults with one-and-a-half twist, pike position, to finish with a total score of 419.25 and leaving her rival only a small opportunity to grab the gold. Chen performed the same dive as Wang and received 88.40 points, but this was ultimately not enough to beat her team mate.

DPR Korea's Hong In Sun and Risa Asada of Japan battled for the bronze medal with Asada the favourite to win after the first three dives, before she fluffed her fourth. Hong rose to the challenge and performed her best dive in this round to take the bronze medal position, finishing with 354.00 points compared to Asada's 353.75.

Wang and Chen both won one gold medal at Doha 2006, with Chen grabbing gold in the 10m platform synchronised event on the first day of the diving competition.

"After each dive I saw my coach and was told that I must not think about my score, but that I just should go on to the next dive," added Wang as she recalled the competition. "Actually, I was afraid that I had slipped to second place, so I'm lucky to win gold."

"My team mate Chen's diving is so beautiful. Her diving is light and very flexible, and also her entry into the water is wonderful. We'll go to the desert tomorrow to have a happy time there."

15th Asian Games, Doha 2006