Double victory makes Hausding (GER), Chen & Wu (CHN) heavy favourites

German icon Patrick Hausding and China’s rising talents Aisen Chen and Shengping Wu were the sensations of the first stage of the FINA Diving Grand Prix 2012, taking place in Rostock (GER) from February 10-12. Each of them bagged two gold medals.
In the men’s competition, fresh face Ethan Warren (AUS) shared the 3m springboard podium with Illya Kvasha from Ukraine (second) and Canadian Reuben Ross (third). In the 10m platform, Aisen Chen (CHN) had a comfortable win, leaving the silver for compatriot Siyi Xie while Martin Wolfram (GER) took third. In the synchro events, Patrick Hausding paired with Stephan Feck (3m springboard) and Sascha Klein (platform) for a golden sweep. On the lower board, silver went to Ukraine’s Illya Kvasha/Oleksiy Prygorov and teammates Sascha Klein/Pavlo Rozenberg. In the platform, the duel for silver played out between duos Oleksandr Bondar/Oleksandr Gorshkovozov and Aisen Chen/Zhiqun Zheng with the Ukrainians eventually prevailing over the Chinese.
Among women, the Chinese dominance was more evident with three titles in their pocket. The only non-Chinese victory went to Jennifer Abel (CAN) in the 3m springboard. The Canadian, prevailing by a nail, bested China’s Han Wang (second) and local hope Nora Subschinski (third). Meanwhile, Shengping Wu (CHN) registered a clear win in the platform event and scooping the silver medal behind her was another young prospect,   Yiying Xing. Australia’s Loudy Wiggins placed third. Wu (pairing with Jie Lian) also won the 10m synchro event. In the 3m synchro, the pairing Han Wang/Quilin Zheng claimed the gold, Canada’s Jennifer Abel/Emilie Heymans were second while Olena Fedorova/Anna Pysmenska (UKR) secured the minor medal.
  
MEDALLISTS IN ROSTOCK (GER)
Men
3m springboard: 1. Ethan Warren (AUS) 485.30; 2. Illya Kvasha (UKR) 472.70; 3. Reuben Ross (CAN) 458.10
10m platform: 1. Aisen Chen (CHN) 576.10; 2. Siyi Xie (CHN) 546.35; 3. Martin Wolfram (GER) 495.40
3m springboard synchro: 1. Stephan Feck/Patrick Hausding (GER) 427.50; 2. Illya Kvasha/Oleksiy Prygorov (UKR) 415.89; 3. Sascha Klein/Pavlo Rozenberg (GER) 408.96 
10m platform synchro: 1. Patrick Hausding/Sascha Klein (GER) 428.61; 2. Oleksandr Bondar/Oleksandr Gorshkovozov (UKR) 421.83; 3. Aisen Chen/Zhiqun Zheng (CHN) 405.78

Women
3m springboard: 1. Jennifer Abel (CAN) 353.40; 2. Han Wang (CHN) 350.25; 3. Nora Subschinski (GER) 320.55
10m platform: 1. Shengping Wu (CHN) 375.65; 2. Yiying Xing (CHN) 354.95; 3. Loudy Wiggins (AUS) 340.35
3m springboard synchro: 1. Han Wang/Quilin Zheng (CHN) 305.70; 2. Jennifer Abel/Emilie Heymans (CAN) 303.60; 3. Olena Fedorova/Anna Pysmenska (UKR) 293.70
10m platform synchro: 1. Jie Lian/Shengping Wu (CHN) 343.62; 2. Alexandra Croak/Melissa Wu (AUS) 314.94; 3. Nora Subschinski/Christin Steuer (GER) 291.09

Full FINA Diving Grand Prix 2012 calendar:
No1: Rostock (GER), February 10-12
No2: Montreal (CAN), May 3-6
No3: Fort Lauderdale (USA), May 10-13
No4: St Petersburg (RUS), June 8-10
No5: Madrid (ESP), June 15-17
No6: Bolzano (ITA) from June 22-24