Reigning Olympic and World champions China delighted home fans by rounding off the first day of action at the third leg of the 2026 World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup with a commanding victory in the Team Technical final.
It completed an impressive opening to the event in Xi’an, which runs from 1-3 May, with the hosts winning three of the four events and placing second in the other.
Their eight-strong Team Technical line-up included five of the athletes who helped secure three World Championships gold medals at Singapore 2025, with Xiang Binxuan the sole remaining athlete to have represented China at Paris 2024, where they claimed a historic team title.
There was also a moment of history, as their new-look team also featured a male athlete for the first time in a major event, in the form of 17-year-old World solo silver medallist Guo Muye.
China, performing to Zhai Jinyan’s ‘I’ll also be a destiny person for fun’ track, attained an overall score of 304.3592 points, to overhaul a strong Russian team, who took second with 297.0816 points.
“This is the first time we’ve performed as a team this season, so we approached it with great anticipation," said Olympic and World gold medallist Xiang Binxuan.
“As a mixed team of juniors and seniors, our coach has high expectations, and we have dedicated countless hours of practice to prepare for this moment and we are eager to showcase the prowess of the new generation Chinese team to the world.”
Russia’s Elizaveta Smirnova, at two-time World Championships silver medallists stated her team were “very happy” with the second-place finish in Xi’an.
“This competition is of a very high level and we congratulate the Chinese team because it’s a pleasure and it’s also great to compete with them.”
Japan, 280.9966, completed a high-class top-three, by edging out a rapidly improving Italian side.
23 duos took to the water for the Women’s Duet Technical Final with traditional solo and team gold medal winner Xu Huiyan demonstrating further evidence of her prowess in a pair alongside World silver medallist Lin Yanjun.
They won gold together at the World Cup Super Final last year and expected to challenge for another victory. So, it would transpire.
Despite a dazzling performance from Russia’s Kira Cherezova and Valentina Gerasimova, who attained an impressive combined, overall score of 296.9358, it was Xu and Lin who would take the title.
"We harboured this little hope and goal of winning two gold medals tonight and we made sure we did our best as our rivals are strong and exceptional in this competition"
Lin added: “I think we did well for the elements (technical) but there were some flaws in our synchronisation and we will work on it so that we can be even better in future competitions.”
An outstanding execution of their ‘Warriors of Moon Shadow’ themed routine saw the Chinese duo awarded 308.2983 points, much to the delight of the fans in the stands.
As with the Open Team Technical final it was Japan who would complete the podium places, with Moe Higa and Tomoka Sato scoring 286.2075.
“We’ve practised and practised and that’s helped us in our competition today,” Sato told World Aquatics. “Our goal is to go for gold at the Asian Games (in September) and we want to do the best for our events – duet and team.”
Earlier Yu Huiyan had topped the podium following a highly entertaining Women’s Solo Technical event, with her ‘Lovesickness’ themed routine securing an overall total of 263.8634 points.
That was just enough to see the 20-year-old to edge gold away from three-time World medallist Vasilina Khandoshka (261.0983 pts).
“To be the best and to gain more experience, sacrifices must be made,” said Yu, who won five medals, including four golds at Singapore 2025.
"I spent a lot of time and effort to try and improve on last year’s medal-winning performances; I used it as a base and foundation to get even better"
Silver medallist Khandoshka told World Aquatics that she “loves” the World Cup competitions, as well as the atmosphere inside the venues.
“I really enjoy performing here in China and to receive such a huge response from the audience,” she said. “I also enjoy and welcome the competition with my fellow swimmers.”
European champion and 2025 overall women’s solo title winner Klara Bleyer (GER) was third (255.0533pts) and although she admits that her performances are “not where” she wants them to be right now, she was still “very happy” with her progress.
The first to take to the water on the opening day of the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup in Xi’a, China, were the male athletes in the Men’s Solo Technical Final.
Ahead of the contest legendary USA artistic swimmer Bill May had described Ranjuo Tomblin as a “very special athlete”and the young Briton showed why he is held in such high esteem.
Tomblin, performing a choreography part-created by May, scored an overall total of 245.6850pts for his ‘a dance of lost love’ themed routine, to set down a commanding marker for outstanding teenager Guo Muye.
The 17-year-old won both of the Men’s Solo contests at Paris World Cup, but despite another strong showing, this time it would be Tomblin who topped the podium, with Guo falling 0.4166pts short of the European champion’s total.
"It's a very strong field with lots of great athletes, especially Muye from China, so I'm very happy to come out on top and improve on my scores from the last stop"
“I picked the music (George Michael’s Careless Whisper) myself, because I feel like it just brings out a lot of emotions, but I’ve been lucky to work with Bill May in America on the choreography. I'm very happy and very thankful for him.”
Silver medallist Guo stated he was content, having “made improvements” from last season.
“Moving forward, I will make some more improvements on the DD (degree of difficulty) as well as the execution of my movements and routine,” the Chinese artistic swimmer told World Aquatics.
“Hopefully reclaim the title in the Super-Final.”
Rounding off the top-three was Kazakhstan’s Viktor Druzin, who finished third for the third-successive time in a Men’s Solo Technical Final.
“Muye, Ranjuo and I are friends; we all work very hard to get here and I’m happy to be in competition with them,” Druzin told World Aquatics. “I was aiming for a medal of a different colour, but perhaps at the next stop.”