Two Duos Win Synchronized Dive Events, Wang Wins 20 km Walk, China's Gold Tally Rises to 25Chinese Olympic delegation put three more fresh golds in its bag Thursday morning in Syndey, when its two diving duos won respectively in the synchronized diving events, and Wang Liping won the first athlete gold for China, finally.Gold medellist Xiong Ni of the 3m springboard dive coupled with teammate Xiao Hailiang to take the 3m springboard synchronized diving Thursday, outperforming Russian Alexander Dobroskok and Dimitry Sautin, who took the silver, and Robert Newbery and Dean Pullar from the host country Australia, who won the bronze. Earlier, teenagers Li Na and Sang Xue of China swept aside their rivals with ease to win the Olympic women's 10m platform synchronized diving gold in Sydney on Thursday. And roughly at the same time, Wang Lipeng won the 20 km women's walk event to win the first gold for China in the athletic event. Their win made China's gold tally at the medals table up to 25, second only after the United States. China are expecting two more diving golds on Thursday in the men's 3m springboard synchronized event in the morning, and the women's singles 3m board event in the evening. Li and Sang, the World Cup champions, who had suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of America's Laura Wilkinson in Sunday's individual 10m platform final in which Li Na finished 2nd and Sang Xue only 4th, blew away the opposition to win by over 30 points on their nearest rivals. Their gold in China's second in the diving event, following the one on Tuesday won by Xiong Ni, who defeated his Russian and Mexican rivals in the last minute to succeed defending his title in the 3m springboard event. Sixteen-year-old Li, and Sang, 15, scored 345.12 points, with Canada's Anne Montminy and Emilie Heymans taking silver with 312.03 points. A last minute resurgence by Australian pair Rebecca Gilmore and Loudy Tourky, assured a bronze for the hosts with 301.50 points. |
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