16th FINA World Championships

July 24 - August 9, 2015

PATRICK HAUSDING: THE FINA WORLDS IS OUR LUCKY TICKET TO RIO 2016

24.07.2015, 15:53 Renowned German divers and Patrick Hausding are the main SPORT candidates for gold. After the training session at the Aquatics Palace the athletes shared their thoughts about opponents and expressed their attitude towards the mixed duets.

Germany had not made the podium approximately for 40 years up until Barcelona 2013 where their duet Sascha Klein and Patrick Hausding claimed gold medal in the 10m platform event. Two years in a row, at Shanghai 2011 and Barcelona 2013 Sasha Klein rounded out the podium in third in individual dives coming after US diver David Boudia and tireless Chinese athlete . Patrick Hausding, who earned Beijing 2008 silver together with Sascha Klein, successfully performs in springboard and platform events. Their duet is an example of collaborative work of two mature independent athletes. The European Championships certainly prove that.

– Who do you think is your main opponent?

S.K.: As for the synchronised I guess athletes from China, Mexico, Cuba (all of them are definitely good at synchronised routine), Russia as well. As for Individual diving China, the USA, Russia, Ukraine.

– What dives are you focusing on more right now?

S.K.: On both of them. Synchronised diving is scheduled on Sunday, thus there will be a week left to get ready for the individual ones.

– Once you’ve said your heart fills with joy when everyone wins except for Chinese athletes.

P.H.: I am a pretty unbiased person. It is not that I don’t like Chinese athletes. The thing is that China has been topping the podium so long and it is quite interesting when someone else is winning the gold. Diving should be a breath-taking event but not one-nation competition.

– What is your opinion regarding mixed duets?

S.K.: I’m not certain about it yet. It is something new, we’ll figure that out a bit later.

– Can you imagine diving in a mixed duet with a girl?

S.K.: I don’t think this type of event is for me.

P.H.: it is quite difficult to find a female partner to dive with me from a springboard. It is just another type of competitions for girls. Not every female athlete is able to perform a very good male dive and as a result a male athlete won’t be able to dive at full blast. That is my opinion.

– What do these Championships mean for you?

– It is our chance to get a qualifying sport for Rio 2016.

Press Office of Organising Committee for 16th FINA World Championships

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