China Mermaid Open Grand Final begins with beauty of diving

The diving contest of the China Mermaid Open Grand Final, which was jointly held with the inaugural Asian Cup, began on Wednesday in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

The landmark event marks a significant milestone in the world of water sports. Guo Ke, a Chinese Mermaid athlete, shared his expectations with CGTN Sports Scene's Shen Xiang and revealed that he will be performing a routine inspired by a classic Chinese tale.

"When I first got into this sport, there were hardly any male mermaid performers in China," Guo said. "I wondered if men could also wear mermaid tails underwater and showcase powerful movements. I've been involved in this sport for about seven years now. I'd like to give everyone a sneak peek at my routine for this competition. It's 'The Monkey King Wreaks Havoc in Heaven'. Some of the moves are inspired by the Monkey King's character, such as transforming the golden staff. These are high-difficulty moves that require a lot of repetition during training. I hope to present my best self to the audience and also hope that Team China can win the title."

As the first-ever competition of its kind in Asia, the Asian Cup represents a convergence of cultural exchange and athletic excellence by bringing together top talents from countries and regions such as China, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and beyond. Sera Hong, who finished third at the 2023 China Mermaid Open Championship, has geared up for this year's contest.

"It has been two years already since I started Mermaid," Sera said. "Actually I saw a mermaid show in the aquarium. So I was really inspired about that. And then at that time, so I felt I wanted to do this. It's already the third time (for me) to join this competition. I feel every competition, I feel development (for) myself."

Behind the scenes, Heidi Perez Cao Jorge Ova credits the success of the event to the diligent efforts of the China Water Sports Administration and the government of Sanya. She also believes that such an event will boost water sports in general and other related activities.

"These types of events create a lot of awareness around," she noted. "The water sports world, diving, and all different aquatic sports and related activities. And Sanya is a great venue because it has a great climate all year round. And of course, the surrounding sea allows us to have this type of events all year round, as I mentioned before. And what a better testament to this than having this competition in the middle of December. This type of events create a lot of awareness around. The water sports world, diving, and all different aquatic sports and related activities."