China made a statement at the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final in Xi'an, claiming three golds across men's solo free, women's duet free, and team free events. Spain stood in the way of a complete home sweep by taking the mixed duet technical title.
In the team free, China delivered an electrifying routine themed "Gravitation," scoring 324.3538 points to top the podium. Japan earned silver with 310.0788, while Spain collected bronze at 308.4859.
Coach Zhang Xiaohuan, moved to tears, said, "This gold lifts a huge weight off our shoulders. Chang Hao overcame a neck injury to perform with incredible grit, and the team's courage under pressure was extraordinary." Soloist Chang added, "My neck rotation is still limited, so I'll focus on treatment tonight and aim for perfect lifts tomorrow."
The women's duet free saw twin sisters Lin Yanjun and Lin Yanhan charm judges with powerful lifts and seamless transitions, earning 266.1442 points. Spain's Lilou Lluis Valette and Iris Tio Casas followed with 260.9325, and Japan's Uta Kobayashi and Tomoka Sato took bronze.
Lin Yanhan reflected, "We lost to Spain last time, but today we performed very well. We still have details to refine, and that motivates us ahead of the World Championships and the 2028 Olympics." Zhang added a note of caution, pointing to strong duets from Austria, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and the ever-dangerous Russian outfits.
Seventeen-year-old Guo Muye also starred, clinching gold in the men's solo free before teaming up with Guo Sitong to finish second in the mixed duet technical. Spain's Dennis Gonzalez and Mireia Hernandez captured that title with 219.7700 points, while Britain's Isabelle Thorpe and Ranjuo Tomblin earned bronze.
Gonzalez noted, "These World Cup events sharpen us for the World Championships. After a strong showing at last week's European Championships, we're aiming to replicate that form here." Hernandez added, "The Chinese duo are very young and talented. We will have good competition at the World Championships."
The Super Final wraps up on Sunday with women's solo free, mixed duet free, and team aerobatics, as teams fine-tune their routines for the season's biggest meets.
Reference(s):
China pick up 3 more golds at Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final
cgtn.com
