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Chen Ruolin makes perfection at Olympic Games

Xinhua, August 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

At the age of 23, Chen Ruolin has already become one of the best divers in history.

The Chinese has etched her name in the Olympic record books as she has won all her competition at Olympic Games.

Chen claimed her fifth Olympic gold medal on Tuesday with partner Liu Huixia by winning the women's 10-meter platform synchro with 354.00 points. Malaysia's Pandelela Rinong Pamg and Cheong Jun Hoong took silver with 344.34 points.

She made her Olympic debut at the age of 15. As the youngest diver in the team, Chen swept the individual and synchronised 10m platform titles in Beijing. Four years later, she repeated the feat in London.

Tuesday's gold gives her five career Olympic gold medals in five career events, evening her with countrywoman Wu Minxia for the most diving golds won by an individual in Olympics history.

"To me, Wu Minxia is so great, and I don't think I can compare with her," said the humble girl.

Wu took gold in the women's synchronized 3m springboard on Sunday alongside partner Shi Tingmao.

Chen, who was on the Chinese national diving team by age 11, has won every major titles awarded in the synchronized 10m platform event since 2006.

She had went through some difficult days. After the London Olympic Games, Chen had been bothered with injuries and felt confused about her future. She even thought about retirement.

She finished a disappointing 4th-place at the National Games in 2013, and was bored by training and competing.

Chen lost the chance to qualify for the individual platform at the 2015 World Championships due to her bad form, but she did find her form back and secured a berth to take part in the synchro event at Rio.

"It was very difficult," she shed into tears after Tuesday's final.

"It's hard to imagine how difficult it had been," she said. "I could not have regular training with injuries, and if I didn't train well, I could not perform my normal level. I almost gave up at that time, but our team leader helped me a lot. She talked with me and encouraged me."

Although already a veteran diver at Olympic Games, Chen still felt nervous.

"Today I am even more nervous than I was at the Beijing Games," she said. "Especially after the fourth dive. I felt tremendous pressure."

"I think it may be my last competition at Olympic Games, so I want it to be perfect," she added. Endit