The question for the third leg of the Diving World Series in Montreal (CHN) is simple: can anyone beat China?
For the first two stages, in Sagamihara (JPN) and Beijing (CHN) in March, the answer was no. China won all 10 events in both, and went 1-2 in four of the six individual events between the two meets.
This year’s competition at the Parc Olympique will be held from Friday through Sunday, with excellent fields in all 10 events:
● Men/3 m Springboard:
Yuan Cao (CHN) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
Siyi Xie (CHN) ~ 2017 World Champion
Jack Laugher (GBR) ~ 2016 Olympic silver medalist
Patrick Hausding (GER) ~ 2016 Olympic bronze; 2017 Worlds silver medalist
Evgeny Kuznetsov (RUS) ~ Fourth in 2016 Olympic Games
Mike Hixon (USA) ~ 10th in 2016 Olympic Games
● Men/10 m Platform:
Aisen Chen (CHN) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion; 2017 Worlds silver medalist
Jian Yang (CHN) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
Tom Daley (GBR) ~ 2017 World Champion
David Dinsmore (USA) ~ Sixth at 2017 World Championships
Benjamin Auffret (FRA) ~ Seventh at 2017 World Championships
● Men/Synchro 3 m:
Yuan Cao/Siyi Xie (CHN) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalists
Daniel Goodfellow/Jack Laugher (GBR) ~ Laugher: 2016 Olympic Champion
Andrew Capobianco/Mike Hixon (USA) ~ Hixon: 2016 Olympic silver medalist
Evgenii Kuznetsov/Nikita Shleikher (RUS) ~ Kuznetsov: 2017 World Champion
Oleg Kolodniy/Oleksandr Gorshkovozov (UKR) ~ Kolodniy: 2017 Worlds bronze
● Men/Synchro 10 m:
Yuan Cao/Aisen Chen (CHN) ~ Chen: 2016 Olympic Champ + 2017 World Champion
Tom Daley/Matthew Lee (GBR) ~ Daley: 2016 Olympic bronze medalist
Aleksandr Bondar/Viktor Minibaev (RUS) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalists
● Women/3 m Springboard:
Tingmao Shi (CHN) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion
Han Wang (CHN) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalist
Jennifer Abel (CAN) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
Maddison Keeney (AUS) ~ 2017 Worlds 1 m Springboard gold medalist
Grace Reid (GBR) ~ Fourth at 2017 World Championships
Pam Ware (CAN) ~ Sixth at 2017 World Championships
● Women/10 m Platform:
Qian Ren (CHN) ~ 2016 Olympic Champion; 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
Jiaqi Zhang (CHN) ~ 2019 World Series winner in Sagamihara and Beijing
Meaghan Benfeito (CAN) ~ 2016 Olympic bronze medalist
● Women/Synchro 3 m:
Tingmao Shi/Han Wang (CHN) ~ Shi: 2016 Olympic Champ & 2017 World Champion
Maddison Keeney/Annabelle Smith (AUS) ~ 2016 Olympic bronze medalists
Jennifer Abel/Melissa Citrini Beaulieu (CAN) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalists
Kristina Ilinykh/Mariia Poliakova (RUS) ~ Olinykh: 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
Grace Reid/Katharine Torrance (GBR) ~ Fifth at 2017 World Championships
● Women/Synchro 10 m:
Jiaqi Zhang/Wei Lu (CHN) ~ 2019 World Series winners in Sagamihara and Beijing
Meaghan Benfeito/Caeli McKay (CAN) ~ Benfeito: 2016 Olympic bronze medalist
Eden Cheng/Lois Toulson (GBR) ~ Toulson: Seven in 2017 World Championships
Jin Mi Jo/Mi Rae Kim (PRK) ~ Kim: 2017 Worlds silver medalist
Pandelela Pamg/Nur Sabri (MAS) ~ Pamg: 2016 Olympic silver & 2017 Worlds bronze
● Mixed/Synchro 3 m:
Yani Chang/Hao Wang (CHN) ~ 2019 World Series winners in Sagamihara and Beijing
Grace Reid/Tom Daley (GBR) ~ 2017 Worlds silver medalists
Jennifer Abel/Francois Imbeau-Dulac (CAN) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze medalists
Tina Punzel/Lou Massenberg (GER) ~ Fourth at 2017 World Championships
● Mixed/Synchro 10 m:
Junjie Lian/Yajie Si (CHN) ~ Lian: 2017 World Champion
Matthew Lee/Lois Toulson (GBR) ~ 2017 World Champs silver medalists
Il Myong Hyon/Jin Mi Jo (PRK) ~ Hyon: 2017 Worlds bronze medalist
Last year in Montreal, China won seven of the 10 events, losing in the women’s 10 m Synchro, but not competing in either of the Mixed events.
Prize money of $5,000-4,000-3,000 will be available to the top three place-winners. Look for results here.
