Diving World Series: Illya Kvasha (UKR) prevents China sweep in Dubai

Lausanne (SUI), LONCAT INDAH INDONESIA, March 23, 2013 – The team of China dominated the second leg of the FINA/Midea Diving World Series, held in Dubai (UAE) from March 21-23, 2013 but could not collect all the eight gold medals at stake, after an upset in the men’s 3m springboard. With Kai Qin absent from the event, the Chinese delegation had in Chong He its strongest asset, but the Asian star badly missed one of his dives, opening the door to Illya Kvasha’s win. The Ukrainian finished with 493.40, followed by Spain’s Javier Illana (first silver medal at this level) in 468.20, while He was only third in 466.35.

For the remaining seven events on the programme, China comfortably got the gold. Still among men, Yue Lin and Aisen Chen repeated the 1-2 finish of the first leg in Beijing (CHN) in the men’s 10m platform (together, they were first in the synchro event), and Kai Qin/Chong He were the best in the 3m springboard synchro.

Besides the 3m springboard, the non-Chinese medals in the men’s field went to Victor Minibaev (RUS, bronze in the 10m), to Ukraine’s Kvasha/Prygorov and Mexico’s Castillo/Islas in the 3m springboard synchro (respectively silver and bronze), and to Russia’s Minibaev/Chesakov (silver) and Cuba’s Oliva/Aguirre (bronze) in the 10m platform synchro.   

Among women, 2012 Olympic silver medallist Zi He (CHN) was once more the best in the 3m springboard, totalling 391.20 points, while Canadian Jennifer Abel got the silver (as in the first leg) with 309.30. The bronze medal went to Olena Fedorova, from Ukraine, in 304.50. The first two places in the 10m platform were also the same as in Beijing, with Ruolin Chen (CHN) capturing gold in 403.85 and Meaghan Benfeito (CAN) getting the silver in 381.90. Yulia Koltunova (RUS) was third in 371.05.

In the synchro events, also no surprises, with Chinese victories of Zi He/Han Wang and Ruolin Chen/Huixia Liu in the 3m and 10m events, respectively. Other medals went to Italy (Cagnotto/Dallape), Canada (Abel/Ware and Benfeito/Filion), and Russia (Koltunova/Goncharova).

The 2013 Diving World Series’ next stop is Edinburgh (GBR) from April 19-21. Follow the FINA/Midea Diving World Series 2013 on FINAtv and iPhone/iPad (LIVE+ application @appstore) by clicking on the following link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/digotel-live+-for-ios/id472736696?mt=8

MEDALLISTS IN DUBAI
MEN
3m springboard: 1. Illya Kvasha (UKR) 493.40; 2. Javier Illana (ESP) 468.20; 3. Chong He (CHN) 466.35
10m platform: 1. Yue Lin (CHN) 586.90; 2. Aisen Chen (CHN) 571.60; 3. Victor Minibaev (RUS) 538.05
3m springboard synchro: 1. Chong He/Kai Qin (CHN) 480.33; 2. Illya Kvasha/Oleksiy Prygorov (UKR) 443.37; 3. Yahel Castillo/Daniel Islas (MEX) 406.17
10m platform synchro: 1. Aisen Chen/Yue Lin (CHN) 490.95; 2. Victor Minibaev/Artem Chesakov (RUS) 444.12; 3. Jose Guerra Oliva/Jeinkler Aguirre (CUB) 417.39

WOMEN
3m springboard: 1. Zi He (CHN) 391.20; 2. Jennifer Abel (CAN) 309.30; 3. Olena Fedorova (UKR) 304.50
10m platform: 1. Ruolin Chen (CHN) 403.85; 2. Meaghan Benfeito (CAN) 381.90; 3. Yulia Koltunova (RUS) 371.05
3m springboard synchro: 1. Zi He/Han Wang (CHN) 331.20; 2. Tania Cagnotto/Francesca Dallape (ITA) 297.90; 3. Jennifer Abel/Pamela Ware (CAN) 296.10
10m platform synchro: 1. Ruolin Chen/Huixia Liu (CHN) 353.04; 2. Meaghan Benfeito/Roseline Filion (CAN) 331.44; 3. Yulia Koltunova/Natalia Goncharova (RUS) 315.36

(fina)