Doha, Qatar, February 9, 2024: Asian super power China have built up a healthy lead at the top of the medal rankings after seven days of competition at the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024.
At the close of play on Thursday, February 8, China had won 12 gold medals, three silver and one bronze for a total of 16.
Next best was Australia with 2-3-1 (6), Netherlands 2-1-0 (3), Great Britain 1-3-6 (10) and Italy in fifth place with 1-3-1 (5).
China’s 12 gold medals have come from two of the six sports on the programme, with seven from diving and five in artistic swimming.
The swimming competition begins at Aspire Dome on Sunday, February 11 and runs until the last day of the world championships on February 18.
China’s latest diving gold came on Thursday evening at the Hamad Aquatic Centre as Lian Junjie and Yang Hao won the men’s 10m synchro to seal a three-peat in this event.
Great Britain’s Noah Williams and Tom Daley, out of retirement, seized silver and Ukrainian teenagers Kirill Boliukh and Oleksii Sereda made their second consecutive world podium with a bronze.
After six rounds were completed, Lian and Yang won their third world title in three years, earning 470.76 points, including a giant 104.34 points on their final dive, a forward 4½.
Daley and Williams scored 422.37 points to capture silver, 48.39 points behind the Chinese champions, and an Olympic berth for Great Britain. Ukraine’s Kirill Boliukh and Oleksii Sereda claimed the bronze with a score of 406.47.
In addition, Canada, Australia and Germany earned the right to compete in men’s 10m synchro at the Paris 2024 Olympics by finishing fifth, sixth and seventh behind the 2023 world championship medalists.
Gold medalist Yang said that the 2024 title felt different than his previous two because so many nations were chasing Olympic spots. China, Ukraine and Mexico had already qualified by earning medals at the 2023 world championships.
“Almost all the rest of the Chinese divers have finished their events. They were cheering for us tonight – which is a good thing but, at the same time it made us a little anxious,” said Yang.
*On Friday, China’s Chen Yiwen will try to win her third consecutive women’s individual 3m world title while her teammate Chang Yani will try to add gold to her 2023 silver and 2022 bronze.
*Saturday will mark the last day of diving, beginning with the mixed 3m synchro event followed by the grand finale: men’s 10m platform – the only diving event China did not win in the 2023 world championships at Fukuoka, Japan.