After nine days and 3,400 dives thrown from preliminaries to finals, the points have been tallied: China has been awarded diving’s Team Trophy at the World Aquatics Championships – Fukuoka 2023.
Nations were awarded points based on their order of finish in each individual event, each synchro final, and the team event. The higher the finish, the more the points.
So while China was earning 19 medals (12 gold, four silver, three bronze), it was also amassing 385 points en route to claiming 2023’s top team diving prize for cumulative effort.
“I want to express my gratitude to all the directors, coaches, and leaders,” said Wang Zongyuan, who won two gold medals in Fukuoka. “They are very patient to guide us, and keep a high level of environment for us every day. That is why we can have a good performance.”
Chen Yiwen, who won two gold medals of her own on the 3m springboard, said, “The Chinese team is strong because we get a lot of support from coaches. They have encouraged us for many years.”
Wang and Chen were not the only Chinese divers to win multiple medals this week. Seven of their teammates did, too.
All told, 50 nations sent divers to Japan.
Mexico claimed six medals, it’s best 3m and 10m world championship performance in history, second only behind China.
But China did not leave the world championships with every gold medal awarded, as it had last year in Budapest. Cassiel Rousseau of Australia claimed the only one that got away, in men’s 10m on the last day, in the last event.
No doubt, China will be ready when divers convene again in February for the next World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. Stay tuned.