Doha, Qatar, February 10, 2024: Many athletes here in Doha for the World Aquatics Championships will not face the same problems as Macau divers He Heung Wing and Zhao Hang U when they return home from Doha.
He, 15, and Zhao, 14, will try to fit in more practice when they go home to Macau – but this will not be easy due to their education.
“We spend around 10 hours a day in school and studying, and then train for three hours a day,” said He, after competing in the mixed synchronized 3m springboard event at the Hamad Aquatic Centre on Saturday afternoon.
“This is our future when we go back home – school, study and diving practice. It’s a long day. I think we performed very well today. We are satisfied, but I think I can do better,” he added.
Even though Zhao is only 14, she is already competing in her second world championships after making her debut in Fukuoka, Japan last year.
They have both been training and competing in diving for six years, but this was their first time together as a team.
“I have really enjoyed it here,” she said.
“I competed in the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year and I am looking forward to the next Asian Games in Japan. My target is to finish in the top four or top three,” she added, referring to the 20th Asiad in Aichi-Nagoya in 2026.
In the mixed synchro 3m springboard on Saturday, the Macau youngsters finished last of the 17 pairs with a five-dive score of 166.17. Their highest score, of 36.0, came on their final dive.
Back home, Macau will be in the midst of Lunar New Year celebrations – but this will not be the case for He and Zhao, even though their competitions have finished.
He said: “I will sleep, and play games”, while Zhao added: “We will have dinner and then watch the games tonight” – meaning the men’s 10m platform competition which will close the diving programme and offer a glimpse of the sport at the very top.