Hong Komng:Four-time Olympic champion diver Guo Jingjing, easily won gold with her partner at the East Asian Games on Sunday and afterward denied speculation that she was about to retire.
After taking the women’s 3-meter springboard synchronized title with Wu Minxia, the 28-year-old Guo was flooded with questions about her rumoured decision to quit in the run-up to the 2010 Asian Games in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou and the 2012 London Olympics.
Guo said she still wants to compete - but will defer to her national team coaches and managers.
“I want to take part in future competitions,” she said, but adding, “It’s not for me to decide. I still need to listen to the arrangements of the national team.”
“I just want to do my best in what is before me now. Next year’s schedule still has to be sorted out.”
The Chinese pair took gold ahead of Macau divers Choi Sut Ian and Lei Soi who led after the first round of dives after a conservative start by Guo and Wu. But a series of impressive dives from the second round onwards ensured the Chinese pair won by a significant margin.
Chinese divers also won on Sunday in the women’s 10-meter platform, men’s 3-meter synchronized springboard and men’s 10-meter platform to complete a sweep of all 10 diving golds.
But China was less successful in another one of its traditional strengths - badminton.
Unheralded South Korean Choi Ho-jin upset Olympic champion Lin Dan in straight sets to win the men’s singles final, in one of the biggest upsets of the meet. China also lost in the women’s doubles final, leaving it with only mixed doubles gold.
The 26-year-old Lin said he was tired after a long season and that he wasn’t surprised to lose given the depth of men’s badminton.
“It’s normal. There are so many young players now. They are channelling all their energy at you,” he said.
In the women’s singles final, world No. 17 Yip Pui-yin of Hong Kong beat fifth-ranked compatriot Zhou Mi 2-1 after Zhou retired with a waist injury in the third set.
Elsewhere on the last day of the games, Japan was the dominant force in track and field, claiming six golds to China’s four.
In judo, Japan won five of the last eight golds, but lost to competitors from North Korea and South Korea in two finals.
But China won the overall medals race, finishing the 12-day competition with 113 golds, followed by Japan with 62, South Korea with 39 and host Hong Kong with 26. Both Taiwan and Macau had eight.
