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Team China bags 3 golds, 4 silvers
Editor's Note:
Chinese athletes claimed three gold medals and four silvers on Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics, bringing their tally to 32 golds, 21 silvers and 16 bronzes. Team China continues to top the medal table with five matchdays left for the Games.
Diver Xie finishes top in men's 3m springboard final at Tokyo Olympics
After the six-round final, China witnessed a one-two finish, with Xie finishing first in 558.75 points, followed by his teammate Wang Zongyuan in 534.90 points.
Xie, who is competing in his first Olympics, burst into tears after his final dive.
"For me, so many things have taken place before I came here to compete. I had to make psychological adjustment in a short time, whether in training or competing. The fact that I've had many injuries along the way is also a factor. At that moment, I felt like all the stress and burden I was carrying has been relieved," said the 25-year-old.
Xie was the first current world champion in men's 3-meter springboard to win Olympic gold in the event since 1988.
"I'd give myself a full mark. It's really not been easy all these years. I want to thank myself for not giving up on myself. To win gold here, I've also achieved my 'Grand Slam,'" he added.
The 40-year-old Japanese Ken Terauchi and 35-year-old Mexican Rommel Pacheco Marrufo, the two oldest athletes in the discipline, received big applause after finishing 12th and sixth respectively.
"That is the true Olympic spirit. They overcame so much to be here. The pandemic, and their own age," Xie said. "To compete for their country and fighting for glory for their nation at this age, that's something that we really ought to learn from."
After pairing up with Wang for the 3-meter springboard synchronized gold on July 28, Xie became the second male diver after Xiong Ni to win both individual and synchronized events at the same Olympic Games.
Zou claims men's parallel bars title, receiving unparalleled 9.333 in execution score
Zou topped the competition in 16.233 points, followed by German Lukas Dauser in 15.700 points.
The 23-year-old, who placed first in the qualification, received an unparalleled 9.333 in execution score in the final, securing the second gymnastics gold for China.
Zou's execution score also surpassed Dauser by 0.200 points. Troubled by a shoulder injury, the Chinese gymnast placed 16th at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, following two gold medals from Montreal 2017 and Doha 2018.
"Everybody's performance was very good, especially the German and Turkish. Actually I don't feel I did a very good job, and I don't know why I still got the gold medal," he said after the final.
"I have a very good coach, and parallel bars is one of China's strongest apparatus. When I was a child I started practicing on parallel bars, which was my starting point in gymnastics," he said.
Dauser trailed Zou by a gap of 0.533 points to finish second.
"I still can't really believe it. I can't really put into words what this means to me," said Dauser. "I was fully concentrated on my routine. I am super proud I was able to pull it off and that I will bring a silver medal home with me."
Turkey's Ferhat Arican took bronze in 15.633 points.
Chinese gymnasts finish 1-2 in women's balance beam
The 16-year-old Guan, a balance beam specialist, topped the competition in 14.633 points, trailed by her teammate Tang in 14.233 points.
Guan finished first in 14.933 in qualification and was the last to compete on the apparatus in the final. With a 6.600-difficulty routine, she secured the third gymnastics gold for China.
"I actually never expected that I would get a medal. My coach said, 'This is your first time in the Olympics and no one knows you so just go in and do your best,'" Guan said after the final.
"I actually started gymnastics much later than other people so I think this is a good result for me. Even though this competition is very tiring, I'm very happy with this result."
The 18-year-old Tang, who placed second to qualify, received an unparalleled 8.233 execution score for her routine, settling for silver in the final.
"Today I tried not to think too much about the result. I just tried my best. Even though there were some little errors, I am very satisfied with the fact I was able to win a medal here," Tang said.
US gymnast Simone Biles took bronze in 14.000 points after she withdrew from individual all-around, vault, floor exercise and uneven bars finals.
"It's been a very long week, a very long five years. I didn't expect to medal today, I just wanted to go out and do it for me, and that's what I did," she said.
"It definitely feels more special, this bronze, than the balance beam bronze at Rio. I will cherish it for a long time."
Chinese athletes claimed three gold medals and four silvers on Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics, bringing their tally to 32 golds, 21 silvers and 16 bronzes. Team China continues to top the medal table with five matchdays left for the Games.
Diver Xie finishes top in men's 3m springboard final at Tokyo Olympics
Gold medalist Xie Siyi (right) and silver medalist Wang Zongyuan Photo: Cui Meng/GT
Chinese diver Xie Siyi claimed his second gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics with victory in the men's 3-meter springboard event on Tuesday, adding to his earlier triumph in the 3-meter springboard synchronized.After the six-round final, China witnessed a one-two finish, with Xie finishing first in 558.75 points, followed by his teammate Wang Zongyuan in 534.90 points.
Xie, who is competing in his first Olympics, burst into tears after his final dive.
"For me, so many things have taken place before I came here to compete. I had to make psychological adjustment in a short time, whether in training or competing. The fact that I've had many injuries along the way is also a factor. At that moment, I felt like all the stress and burden I was carrying has been relieved," said the 25-year-old.
Xie was the first current world champion in men's 3-meter springboard to win Olympic gold in the event since 1988.
"I'd give myself a full mark. It's really not been easy all these years. I want to thank myself for not giving up on myself. To win gold here, I've also achieved my 'Grand Slam,'" he added.
The 40-year-old Japanese Ken Terauchi and 35-year-old Mexican Rommel Pacheco Marrufo, the two oldest athletes in the discipline, received big applause after finishing 12th and sixth respectively.
"That is the true Olympic spirit. They overcame so much to be here. The pandemic, and their own age," Xie said. "To compete for their country and fighting for glory for their nation at this age, that's something that we really ought to learn from."
After pairing up with Wang for the 3-meter springboard synchronized gold on July 28, Xie became the second male diver after Xiong Ni to win both individual and synchronized events at the same Olympic Games.
Zou claims men's parallel bars title, receiving unparalleled 9.333 in execution score
Zou Jingyuan Photo: VCG
Chinese gymnast Zou Jingyuan snatched gold in the men's parallel bars at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday.Zou topped the competition in 16.233 points, followed by German Lukas Dauser in 15.700 points.
The 23-year-old, who placed first in the qualification, received an unparalleled 9.333 in execution score in the final, securing the second gymnastics gold for China.
Zou's execution score also surpassed Dauser by 0.200 points. Troubled by a shoulder injury, the Chinese gymnast placed 16th at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, following two gold medals from Montreal 2017 and Doha 2018.
"Everybody's performance was very good, especially the German and Turkish. Actually I don't feel I did a very good job, and I don't know why I still got the gold medal," he said after the final.
"I have a very good coach, and parallel bars is one of China's strongest apparatus. When I was a child I started practicing on parallel bars, which was my starting point in gymnastics," he said.
Dauser trailed Zou by a gap of 0.533 points to finish second.
"I still can't really believe it. I can't really put into words what this means to me," said Dauser. "I was fully concentrated on my routine. I am super proud I was able to pull it off and that I will bring a silver medal home with me."
Turkey's Ferhat Arican took bronze in 15.633 points.
Chinese gymnasts finish 1-2 in women's balance beam
Tang Xijing (left) and Guan Chenchen Photo: Xinhua
China's Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing clinched gold and silver medals respectively in women's balance beam at the Tokyo Olympic Games on Tuesday.The 16-year-old Guan, a balance beam specialist, topped the competition in 14.633 points, trailed by her teammate Tang in 14.233 points.
Guan finished first in 14.933 in qualification and was the last to compete on the apparatus in the final. With a 6.600-difficulty routine, she secured the third gymnastics gold for China.
"I actually never expected that I would get a medal. My coach said, 'This is your first time in the Olympics and no one knows you so just go in and do your best,'" Guan said after the final.
"I actually started gymnastics much later than other people so I think this is a good result for me. Even though this competition is very tiring, I'm very happy with this result."
The 18-year-old Tang, who placed second to qualify, received an unparalleled 8.233 execution score for her routine, settling for silver in the final.
"Today I tried not to think too much about the result. I just tried my best. Even though there were some little errors, I am very satisfied with the fact I was able to win a medal here," Tang said.
US gymnast Simone Biles took bronze in 14.000 points after she withdrew from individual all-around, vault, floor exercise and uneven bars finals.
"It's been a very long week, a very long five years. I didn't expect to medal today, I just wanted to go out and do it for me, and that's what I did," she said.
"It definitely feels more special, this bronze, than the balance beam bronze at Rio. I will cherish it for a long time."
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