FINA News, June 20, 2012: After Rostock (Germany), Montreal (Canada), Fort Lauderdale (USA) and Madrid (Spain), Bolzano (Italy) will welcome the current stars and rising talents of diving’s global elite from June 22-24, the last meet of the FINA Diving Grand Prix 2012.
Among those hoping for a place on the podium, China’s Han Wang is first in the women’s 3m springboard overall ranking so far with a comfortable 61 points. The 2011 Grand Prix winner finished on top at the Fort Lauderdale and Madrid meets. Australia’s Sharleen Stratton follows with 54 points while Anna Lindberg from Sweden, who placed first in Montreal, has a total 42 points.
In the women’s 10m platform, Melissa Wu (AUS) leads the standings with 47 points while teammate Brittany Broben is second with 43 points. China’s Si Yajie is currently third with 42 points after a first-place finish in Fort Lauderdale and Madrid.
In the men’s field, Australia’s rising star Ethan Warren is a strong favourite in the 3m springboard after collecting two victories in Rostock and Montreal and totalling 53 points. Canadians Reuben Ross and François Imbeau-Dulac are currently second and third with 45 and 41 points, respectively.
In the 10m platform, Cuba’s Jenkler Aguirre dominates the operations so far with 34 points while Riley McCormick from Canada and Mexican Ivan Garcia are in a tie position with 32 points each.
China is currently the top nation in all synchro events, except the men’s 3m springboard synchro, where Malaysian pair Huang Qiang/Bryan Nickson tops the overall rankings, following their victory in Montreal and Fort Lauderdale.
Open water races become fiercer as Grand Prix 2012 continues
As the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuit 2012 unfolds (four of the eight legs have already taken place), some of the world’s best open water swimmers in action continue to produce fine performances, rising ever higher in the ranks to secure a podium spot.
Among women, Spain’s Esther Nunez currently sits atop the overall ranking with 44 points, after finishing third in the challenging 57km Santa Fe-Coronda race, in Argentina, and winning the 36km Capri-Napoli race, in Italy last Sunday. Chasing behind is Russian Anna Uvarova, 42 points, after winning a silver and gold medals at the two Argentinean stops and taking second behind Nunez in Italy. Pilar Geijo from Argentina, winner of the last two Grand Prix editions, is currently third in the overall standings with 35 points. Her only podium so far is a second-place finish in the Santa Fe-Coronda race.
Damian Blaum from Argentina leads the men’s overall ranking with 31 points, after earning two bronze medals at home in the Rosario and Santa Fe-Coronda races. Italy’s Andrea Volpini and Australian Trent Grimsey – third and first in the Capri-Napoli race – are currently in second and third place with respectively 28 and 26 points.
2012 might witness a breakthrough victory in the men’s competition as the all-time Grand Prix winner, Bulgarian Petar Stoychev, currently 19th in the standing, has decided to set his sights on the London Olympic Games, thus freeing the way for other title contenders.
It is not over yet as four more meets are set to take place:
NEXT RACE: July 28 in Lac St-Jean (CAN, 32km)
Race 6: August 4 in Lac Magog (CAN, 34km)
Race 7: August 5 in Sabac (SRB, 19km)
Race 8: August 25 in Ohrid Lake (MKD, 33km).
Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano Bolzano
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