Wining gold in Rio not world champion Qiu's priority
The annual FINA Diving World Series Beijing event is set to begin Friday at the Water Cube in Beijing, with powerhouse China aiming to sweep the gold medals again.
Last year's event saw China sweep all 10 golds, but things are a little different this year.
With the Rio Olympic Games looming, this year's event is considered a buildup to the global sport's quadrennial tournament, and athletes from around the world are eager to challenge China's dominance.
Britain's Tom Daley is among those challengers. -Daley was late for a news conference on Thursday, saying he needs to undergo extra training to make him "capable" of competing with reigning world champion Qiu Bo in the men's 10-meter platform.
In February, divers also participated in the diving World Cup in Rio, a test event for the Olympic Games. Qiu won the outdoor competition.
When asked about his opinion on the indoor event at the -Water Cube, Qiu said he prefers to compete outside. He is no stranger to outdoor competition, as he won 10-meter platform gold at the outdoor World Championships in Shanghai in 2011 and in Barcelona in 2013.
It seems Qiu has set his sights on winning gold at the Games, the only major title he lacks so far, but he said a gold medal is not his ultimate priority.
"Winning gold at the Olympic Games doesn't mean one is great in this event," Qiu told the Global Times. "Being great [in diving] is not equivalent to winning gold but to continuing to fight after winning gold."
He also said he is fighting injuries that have interrupted his training. Lately he has been beset by injuries to his right wrist and his feet.
Shi Tingmao, who is considered to be the new flag-bearer of the women's diving team, said she is confident of becoming No.1, but she also noted that she will always view Wu Minxia and her elder teammate He Zi as her role models.
Wu and another leading female diver, Chen Ruolin, are not competing in the Beijing event, according to the list released by the organizers.
