Chinese Take Top Two Places in Women’s One-Meter Diving

China’s Yu Xiaoling finished ahead of teammate Gao Min, the Olympic three-meter gold medalist, during the team one-meter springboard competition Thursday at the FINA World Diving Cup.

Yu, 18, who said through an interpreter that diving keeps her from dating, scored 481.98 points for her 10 dives at the Indiana University Natatorium. Gao, who said she spends little time on the one-meter board, had 468.24 points.

Daphne Jongejans of the Netherlands placed third among the 17 competitors with 429.15 points, and U.S. national champion Julie Farell, making her debut in international competition, was fourth with 426.12. The top 12 finishers advanced to the quarterfinals of the individual competition with the first four receiving byes into the semifinals.

The 1-2 placing gave China 291 points at the midpoint of the six events in the team competition. The United States, trying to defend the title it won two years ago, was second with 274 points. The Soviet Union was third with 255.

Meanwhile, Olympic platform bronze medalist Wendy Lian Williams of the United States overcame the disappointment of placing eighth in her speciality by advancing to the finals.

Williams, 21, a junior at the University of Miami, had 219.72 points for her four dives to lead the four quarterfinalists in her bracket. She then topped her semifinal bracket with a 257.79 total.