After 8 years, Guo finally makes it in Olympics
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-15 14:06

Guo Jingjing has been waiting too long for a gold medal in the Olympic Games. After eight years and two heartbreaking failed attempts in Atlanta and Sydney, she finally made it in Athens.

Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia perform a perfect dive in 3m sychronized springboard and the pair won the gold. [Xinhua]

Pairing with 19-year-old Wu Minxia, Guo Jingjing dived to win the women's three-meter sychronized springboard gold at the opening day's competition of the Athens Olympic Games on Saturday.

"It's a dream come true," said the 23-year-old.

The dream began on September 7, 1995 when Guo,14, tasted her first career world title in the ninth diving World Cup in Atlanta paired with Wang Rui in the syncronized platform event. Two days later she took the second in the three-meter sycronized springboard.

Her future looked rosy because it was only less than one year before the Olympic Games in the same city and she had become one of China's best talents and biggest gold hopefuls. She had been tipped as Fu Mingxia second and a successor to the Barcelona Olympic platform gold winner.

But Guo, who was born in north China's Hebei Province, managed only a fifth place in the three-meter springboard.

"I was too nervous to execute a dive well," she recalled. "I could not help trembling standing high there."

Guo Jingjing (left) smiles at the medal podium in Athens August 14, 2004. [xinhua]

Getting mature and grown up, Guo was believed to bring a gold home easily from Sydney in 2000 but a "foolish" mistake at the last moment cost her dearly and she was beaten into second place in the springboard by Fu, the world's youngest Olympic champion in Barcelona who had just come out of retirement.

She lost another chance in the syncronized board event with Fu to Russian tandem Vera Ilyina and Yuli Pakhalina and flew home with two silver medals.

"I felt devastated," she recalled. "The gold was just inches away but I lost. I just wanted to stay away from diving for ever."

For a long time back from Sydney, everthing in her mind was about retiring from the sport. The defeat was too much for her. During the two years before the Sydney Olympics, she had never lost a single competition.

"Finally I decided to do it again," she said. "I want to stand up from where I fell. I want to become an Olympic champion."

In 2001, Guo regained her form by winning the women's board title at the world championships, which added more confidence for her preparation for the Athens Olympics.

"At that time, I told myself that I was the best in the world. There was no reason for me to quit."

But her buildup for the Athens Olympics suffered a blow in the FINA diving Grand Prix in Atlanta on May 9, when she made another stupid mistake, falling off the board and was awarded no points by all the judges.

"I didn't know what happened," she said. "Just unbelievable."

The mistake finally became a good reminder for her, that any minor error could cost the title at such competitive events as theOlympic Games.

"The defeat really really reminded me, pouring some cold water on my head," she said. "Later on, I just told myself to be confident, make no mistakes and keep cool head. "

It worked and only three months on, she stands on the top of the podium at the Olympic Games.

She now has a chance to win her second in the three-meter springboard, which has been her domain in the past few years.

"Without making any mistakes, I am sure I can win it," she said.