Wu Minxia Wins Olympic Gold Medal
Wu Minxia won her third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the three meters synchronized springboard on Sunday and after winning in Athens and Beijing alongside Guo Jingling, she did so this time with a different partner, He Zi following Guo’s retirement.
Some divers may have lost form or struggled to build an understanding with a different partner, but speaking after her triumph, Wu said that was not the case.
“We worked really well as a team, we are both Chinese, so we work together, whoever is my partner, we can always work well,” she explained.
Wu can be considered to be a veteran in diving, a sport that is dominated by young athletes, but the 26-year-old said she had no thoughts of retirement for the moment.
“I’ve never thought about whether my time as a diver is almost over,” she commented, before adding. “I know my ability and capabilities and I want to work and train hard to continue.”
However, she admitted that her route to these Olympics had not been an easy one.
“As an athlete, you need to train. I didn’t have such a good training, which meant I had to work hard in order to compensate, so it is a miracle for me to be here today, or maybe I should say it’s a marvelous miracle,” said Wu.
“When I train I look to train at my best and that is why I have achieved my goal, although it was already an honor to have been chosen to come and represent my country,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, He Zi was more emotional after the 21 year-old won her first Olympic medal.
“I don’t believe I am already a winner, I am really happy,” said He, who confessed she had only realized she was an Olympic champion after the final dive.
[...] Top female and kiddy participants will also receive cash prizes and gold medals. [...]