Chinese "Diving Queen" Guo Jingjing will lead the "Dream Team" charging toward glory when the diving competition of the Beijing Olympic Games kicks off Sunday.
Guo, 26, winner of the 3m springboard in 2004 Athens Olympics, together with her Athens Olympics 3m springboard synchronized winning partner Wu Minxia, is to defend their title of the event on the opening day of the diving event in the Water Cube.
The eldest women diver in the squad, world and Olympic champion Guo is still an overwhelming favorite on the springboard, both individual and synchronized.
Guo is the winner of both individual and synchronized events of the 3m springboard in four consecutive world championships, from 2001 Fukuoka Worlds to 2007 Melbourne Worlds.
The 22-year-old Wu, who often followed Guo in the 3m springboard competition including the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2007 Melbourne World Championships, is also a three-time world champion of the 3m synchro with Guo, as she missed the 2005 Montreal Worlds.
The Chinese duo will compete with Russian diving veteran Julia Pakhalina and her partner Anastasia Pozdnyakova in the final.
Pakhalina, winner of the 3m springboard synchronized in 2000 Sydney Olympics with her partner Vera Ilyna, paired up with Anastasia Pozdnyakova this time as Ilyna has retried. The new pair took the silver in all legs of the 2008 World Seires, including Nanjing, Sheffied and Tijuana.
2007 Melbourne world championships runners-up Heike Fischer and Ditte Kotzian of Germany are also on the final's start list in Beijing. The duo won a gold in the event at the Grand Prix in Germany.
The Australian duo Sharleen Stratton and Briony Cole, third of the event in 2007 Melbourne Worlds, might also be strong rivals for the Chinese on Sunday's final.
(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2008)