Olympic debutants Yang Hao and Lian Junjie from China will be eyeing gold in the men's 10m synchronized platform as the Paris Olympics draw near.
The three-time world champions started pairing up after Tokyo, where neither qualified. Yang was almost forced out by long-term injuries and the postponement of the Games. Lian admitted to having shed tears after pushing himself to the limit to tackle the 409C jump, but he still failed to make the cut. It wasn't exactly uphill afterward, but the Chinese pair did overcome struggles to emerge as a dominant team in the new Olympic cycle. Besides a hat-trick of World Championships, they also claimed gold at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games.
A file photo of Yang Hao (L) and Lian Junjie winning the men's 10m synchronized platform at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, February 8, 2024. /CFP
Yang won his first individual world title in Doha earlier this year. The 26-year-old and his younger teammate hope to claim the one gold out of eight that China didn't get in Tokyo. They held off a comeback from Tom Daley and Noah Williams in Doha and, for the first time, put their synchronized 207B jump to the test. But they know bigger tests are yet to come.
"I have much confidence to tackle the synchronized gold. There were times I felt life wasn't fair to me. But everything feels right now. Now is the best time," Yang said.
"I'm preparing myself mentally for the challenge and the torturing pressure sometimes, just so I live up to myself eventually," Lian added.