Chinese diving pipeline spills out 2 teens already being hailed as future champs
Jiang Linjing, 15, Cui Jiaxi, 13, win gold and silver in the women’s 10m platform at World Cup stop in Montreal
China dominating a diving competition is not really news, but the emergence of two teenagers has made fans sit up and take notice of the weekend’s World Cup stop in Montreal.
In an event where the country’s athletes won nine gold and four silver medals, it was those secured by Jiang Linjing, 15, and Cui Jiaxi, 13, that got tongues wagging.
Jiang, who rose to prominence by finishing third behind Olympic champions Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan at the 2023 National Diving Championships, took the women’s 10m platform title with a score of 428.10 points, becoming the third Chinese diver after more illustrious compatriots to break 400 points in the event. Jiaxi took silver.
Mainland media immediately hailed Jiang as a “long-awaited” talent capable of matching the elite standards set by Quan and Chen Yuxi, with social media users noting that coach Chen Ruolin had unearthed another “ace” for her squad.
“It seems like women’s 10m platform will be led by Chen Yuxi and Jiang for the next Olympic cycle,” one comment said, while another observed that the youngster’s emergence “shows the excellence of the Chinese diving team’s talent pipeline”.
In addition to the eight Olympic events, the World Cup series includes a mixed team event. China’s Chen Jia, Zheng Jiuyuan, Cui Jiaxi and Zhao Renjie won gold, with Mexico and Canada finishing second and third.