by sportswriters Zhang Can and Liu Yichun
TOKYO, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) — Three gold medals in three occasions made Wang Zongyuan’s return to the Tokyo Aquatics Center a triumphant one.
But 5 years after successful his first Olympic title on this very pool, the Chinese diver’s Asian Games marketing campaign has been about greater than including three extra golds to his assortment. It has provided a glimpse of what has modified within the younger champion who as soon as took the world by storm.
Wang accomplished his gold-medal sweep on the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Tuesday, following victories within the males’s synchronized 3m springboard and 1m springboard with a profitable protection of his males’s 3m springboard title.
“It was a challenge for me to compete in three events and fight for three gold medals, especially as I get older,” Wang stated after his third victory. “I’m very happy that I managed to push through and accomplish the goal, although the overall performance was not perfect.”
That final sentence might say extra about Wang than the three gold medals themselves.
In Tuesday’s 3m closing, Wang remained in management from the opening dive, however he was not proof against errors. His fifth dive, a again 3 1/2 somersaults in tuck place, earned 68.40 factors, his lowest rating of the ultimate. He recovered with 85.50 on his final try to complete with 494.40.
Wang later admitted that he had felt the pressure of competing in three occasions.
“I didn’t hesitate in the final. I tried to be more confident, relaxed and decisive,” he stated. “But in the later rounds, I could clearly feel that my physical reserves were not enough.”
For Wang, studying to acknowledge and handle such moments has change into a part of rising older within the sport.
Five years in the past, when he stood on the identical pool deck as a 20-year-old Olympic champion, Wang described himself as somebody who merely went all out.
“Five years ago, I was a young athlete who was just starting out. I went all out and competed without holding anything back,” he stated after successful the synchronized 3m springboard title. “After five years of growth, I feel more mature and more stable. I have gained experience and learned from different competitions.”
Perhaps no change is extra apparent than the best way individuals round him now tackle him.
There was as soon as “Xiao Wang,” or the youthful Wang, the fearless rising star. Now he hears “Lao Wang,” or the older Wang, a playful nickname reflecting not solely his years on the nationwide crew but additionally the function he has step by step taken on amongst youthful teammates.
Wang sees that evolution as a part of his journey.
“From the time I first stepped onto the international stage until now, I feel that I’ve become more mature. I can adjust and control myself more quickly during competitions,” he stated. “All these experiences and lessons have helped me grow.”
He can also be fast to share the credit score.
“I couldn’t have become the calm and steady ‘Lao Wang’ I am today without my country, my team, my coaches and my teammates,” he stated. “Their encouragement and support have allowed me to keep moving forward.”
Wang’s relationship with diving started lengthy earlier than the Olympic titles and nicknames.
In 2008, he was a younger boy watching the Beijing Olympics on tv whereas coaching in gymnastics. He spent two years in gymnastics earlier than switching to diving after the Games.
Growing up in Xiangyang in central China’s Hubei Province, alongside the Han River, Wang had all the time been drawn to water. His mother and father loved swimming and infrequently took him into the water when he was younger.
When he had to decide on between gymnastics and diving, the choice got here simply.
“I really liked water,” Wang recalled.
What started as a childhood attraction ultimately grew to become an Olympic profession. Wang has spoken of the 2008 Games because the second when the dream of competing on the Olympics was first planted in his thoughts.
His childhood idol was Chinese diving champion He Chong. Years later, Wang had the chance to speak along with his former idol and be taught from his expertise.
Now Wang more and more finds himself on the opposite facet of that relationship.
That function was on show Tuesday with youthful teammate Zheng Jiuyuan, his associate within the synchronized 3m springboard. Zheng made two main errors within the particular person 3m closing however fought again to take silver, scoring 93.60 factors on his closing dive, the best single-dive rating of the competitors.
Wang was impressed by the best way Zheng responded.
“He made a big mistake on the first dive, but became more relaxed in the following rounds and performed his movements more freely,” Wang stated. “I think this was valuable experience and a lesson for him, helping him find a better balance between excitement and control.”
Zheng has described Wang as somebody he learns from, and the 2 have developed an in depth partnership in coaching and competitors. After they received the synchronized 3m title on Saturday, Wang advised Zheng: “Believe in yourself, surpass yourself, and then let’s win Olympic gold together.”
In 2021, Tokyo marked the arrival of a younger Olympic champion. Five years later, the identical metropolis has seen Wang full a three-gold sweep on the Asian Games and emerge as a extra skilled diver, teammate and information.
Yet Wang just isn’t trying again on his profession as one thing already full.
“Later, the person you become will definitely thank the person you are now for working hard and striving,” he stated.
For now, his route is obvious.
“See you in Los Angeles,” Wang stated.