Sports
Double Honors for Record-Breaking 4x800m Quartet
Story Links BALTIMORE, MD – Following a historic performance at the prestigious Penn Relays, the Johns Hopkins 4×800-meter relay team has earned national and conference recognition, being named M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week and Centennial Conference Track Athletes of the Week. This marks just the fourth time in program […]

BALTIMORE, MD – Following a historic performance at the prestigious Penn Relays, the Johns Hopkins 4×800-meter relay team has earned national and conference recognition, being named M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week and Centennial Conference Track Athletes of the Week.
This marks just the fourth time in program history that a Johns Hopkins female athlete has received the national honor during the outdoor season, joining two-time honoree Victoria Kadiri ’24 and Frances Loeb ’15. It is also the first conference weekly award for a Hopkins relay squad and the fourth conference recognition for the Blue Jays this season.
The dynamic quartet of Emma Kothari, Harrinee Senthilkumar, Mackenzie Setton and Annie Huang made history by clocking 8:48.94, the fastest 4×800-meter relay time in NCAA Division III history. Their performance shattered the previous DIII national record of 8:53.04, set by The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in 2009. The time also stands as the fastest ever recorded in program history and secured a fourth-place finish at the meet.
Hopkins returns to the track Friday, May 2, at the Centennial Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA.
Sports
Hawaii high school longest title streaks by sport, 2024-25
Handing off a state championship streak from one class to the next is not as easy as a simple pass of a baton. The 2024-25 Hawaii high school athletic calendar year saw some meaningful state streaks fall across the fall, winter and spring seasons, while others were successfully defended. The longest active streaks spanning all […]

Handing off a state championship streak from one class to the next is not as easy as a simple pass of a baton.
The 2024-25 Hawaii high school athletic calendar year saw some meaningful state streaks fall across the fall, winter and spring seasons, while others were successfully defended.
The longest active streaks spanning all sports belong to Punahou tennis — it has captured 21 straight on the girls side and four straight on the boys.
But Punahou saw one of the longest streaks in the state come to an end, as well; Buffanblu girls cross country had its 11-title run dating back to 2012 snapped at the hands of Radford.
Other notable runs to end were Iolani girls basketball (five), Kahuku football (three) and Saint Louis boys basketball (three). Pearl City ended five-year runs for Moanalua in both boys and girls judo.
There were also breakthroughs.
Kauai High won the first state air riflery title for any KIF team, boys or girls, when its boys broke through in the fall. Kamehameha-Maui claimed its first state football championship at the Division II level after a runner-up finish in 2023.
Seabury Hall claimed its first boys basketball championship at the Division II level. The Moanalua boys and Konawaena girls recorded the first track and field championships in program history on Hawaii Island. Hawaii Prep girls cross country raised its first banner in D-II.
Campbell won the inaugural girls flag football championship and Radford boys volleyball broke through in Division II.
At the other end of the spectrum, Punahou’s dynastic swimming and diving programs recorded their 57th total state girls title and 50th boys. Its boys tennis team has won 52 titles and its girls 49.
There were also special milestones as Kamehameha girls volleyball won its 25th championship and Punahou boys volleyball its 40th.
Here are the reigning champions in each team sport, by season, with that program’s active state title streak and total titles in parentheses. Note: Individual champions from sports that feature them are not included here.
FALL SPORTS
Air Riflery
Boys — Kauai (1x, 1 title)
Girls — Pearl City (3x, 5 titles)
Bowling
Boys — Pearl City (1x, 14 titles)
Girls — Pearl City (2x, 15 titles)
Cheerleading
All Girl Division — Iolani (1x, 2 titles)
Coed Division — Radford (2x, 14 titles)
Cross Country
Boys Division I — Iolani (3x, 8 titles)
Boys Division II — Hawaii Baptist (1x, 6 titles)
Girls Division I — Radford (1x, 5 titles)
Girls Division II — Hawaii Prep (1x, 1 title)
Football
Open Division — Saint Louis (1x, 8 titles)
Division I — Kapaa (1x, 2 titles)
Division II — Kamehameha-Maui (1x, 1 title)
Girls Volleyball
Division I — Kamehameha (2x, 25 titles)
Division II — Hawaii Baptist (1x, 5 titles)
WINTER SPORTS
Basketball
Division I boys — Punahou (1x, 12 titles)
Division II boys — Seabury Hall (1x, 1 title)
Division I girls — Kamehameha (1x, 10 titles)
Division II girls — Hanalani (1x, 2 titles)
Canoe paddling
Boys — Kamehameha (1x, 8 titles)
Girls — Kamehameha (1x, 11 titles)
Mixed — Kamehameha (2x, 6 titles)
Soccer
Division I boys — Iolani (1x, 11 titles)
Division II boys — Kamehameha-Hawaii (1x, 4 titles)
Division I girls — Punahou (3x, 14 titles)
Division II girls — Kamehameha-Hawaii (1x, 2 titles)
Swimming & Diving
Boys — Punahou (1x, 50 titles)
Girls — Punahou (9x, 57 titles)
Wrestling
Boys — Kamehameha (2x, 9 titles)
Girls — Moanalua (4x, 7 titles)
SPRING SPORTS
Baseball
Division I — Saint Louis (1x, 3 titles)
Division II — Damien (1x, 4 titles)
Girls Flag Football
All Divisions — Campbell (1x, 1 title)
Golf
Boys — Punahou (1x, 12 titles)
Girls — Punahou (2x, 14 titles)
Judo
Boys — Pearl City (1x, 6 titles)
Girls — Pearl City (1x, 7 titles)
Softball
Division I — Mililani (2x, 5 titles)
Division II — Kapaa (2x, 3 titles)
Tennis
Boys — Punahou (4x, 52 titles)
Girls — Punahou (21x, 49 titles)
Track & Field
Boys — Moanalua (1x, 1 title)
Girls — Konawaena (1x, 1 title)
Boys volleyball
Division I — Punahou (1x, 40 titles)
Division II — Radford (1x, 1 title)
Water polo
Girls — Punahou (1x, 16 titles)
STREAKS SNAPPED
Punahou Division I girls cross country, 11x
Iolani Division I girls basketball, 5x
Moanalua boys judo, 5x
Moanalua girls judo, 5x
Punahou girls track & field, 5x
Kahuku Open Division football, 3x
Saint Louis Division I boys basketball, 3x
Pac-Five Division II girls soccer, 3x
Iolani boys swimming & diving, 3x
Kaiser boys air riflery, 2x
Moanalua All Girl Division cheerleading, 2x
Waimea Division II football, 2x
Waiakea boys golf, 2x
Saint Louis boys track & field, 2x
Kamehameha girls water polo, 2x
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
Sports
Strangio Earns First Team All-America Honors With School Record at NCAA Outdoor Championships
Story Links EUGENE, Ore. – Portland senior Matt Strangio capped off a historic collegiate career with a sixth-place finish in the men’s 5,000 meters at the 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships tonight at Hayward Field. Strangio clocked a personal-best and school-record time of 13:23.28 to secure First […]

Strangio is one of the most accomplished distance runners in program history. In cross country, he was the 2023 West Coast Conference Individual Champion, a 2024 Cross Country All-American, and earned All-WCC honors three years in a row — Honorable Mention in 2022 and First Team in 2023 and 2024. He was also named to the All-Region Team in both 2023 and 2024. His dominance earned him individual accolades as the 2023 WCC Runner of the Year, 2024 WCC Co-Runner of the Year, and 2024 DI Cross Country West Region Athlete of the Year.
On the indoor track, Strangio was a two-time NCAA qualifier in the 3,000 meters (2024, 2025) and was named a Second Team All-American in 2025, becoming the first Pilot since 2016 to earn the honor. Strangio holds three school records across the mile (3:55.53), 3000m (7:39.02), and 5000m (13.31.92).
In outdoor track, Strangio made two NCAA 5,000-meter appearance and now holds the school records in both the 5,000 meters (13:23.28) and 1,500 meters (3:37.93) — both elite marks at the national level. Strangio’s consistent excellence and leadership have left an indelible mark on the Portland program.
Tomorrow, Laura Pellicoro will represent the Pilot women in the 800-meter final, scheduled for Saturday, Jun 14, at 7:14 p.m. (PT) at Hayward Field. She will compete for the national title after advancing with a school-record time of 2:01.07.
The full result of men’s 5,000-meter final is listed below.
2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Eugene, Ore. (Hayward Field)
June 11-14, 2025
Thursday, June 12
Women’s 800m Semifinal
1. Michaela Rose, LSU, 1:58.95 Q
2. Lauren Tolbert, Duke,1:59.39 Q
3. Makayla Paige, North Carolina,1:59.92 Q
4. Meghan Hunter, BYU, 1:59.96 Q
5. Roisin Willis, Stanford, 2:00.33 Q
6. Smilla Kolbe, North Florida, 2:00.70 q
7. Laura Pellicoro, Portland, 2:01.07 (2:01.061) q (PR, School Record)
8. Victoria Bossong, Harvard, 2:01.07 (2:01.063) q
9. Veronica Hargrave, Indiana, 2:01.54 Q
Friday, June 13
1. Brian Musau, Oklahoma State, 13:20.59
2. Habtom Samuel, New Mexico, 13:20.89
3. Marco Langon, Villanova, 13:21.17
4. Valentin Soca, CBU, 13:21.76
5. Rocky Hansen, Wake Forest, 13:22.47
6. Matt Strangio, Portland, 13:23.28 (PR, School Record)
7. Ishmael Kipkurui, New Mexico, 13:25.18
8. Fouad Messaouidi, Oklahoma State, 13:25.48
9. Toby Gillen, Ole Miss, 13:26.74
10. David MULLARKEY, Northern Arizona, 13:28.43
11. Robin Kwemoi Bera, Iowa State, 3:30.52
12. Colton Sands, North Carolina, 3:36.26
13. Will Daley, Virginia, 13:36.55
14. Luke Tewalt, Wake Forest, 13:37.47
15. Jacob White, Wyoming, 13:37.82
16. Ernest Cheruiyot, Texas Tech, 13:38.09
17. Drew Bosley Northern Arizona, 13:39.04
18. JoJo Jourdon, Wake Forest, 13:41.00
19. Ethan Strand, North Carolina, 13:42.20
20. Matthew Forrester, Butler, 13:43.85
21. Kidus Misgina, Ole Miss, 13:49.21
22. Hunter Christopher, Youngstown St., 13:49.43
23. Luke Grundvig, BYU, 13:54.70
24. Justin Wachtel, Virginia, 14:11.51
Saturday, June 14
Women’s 800m Final, 7:14 PM (PT)
Laura Pellicoro, 2:01.07
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Sports
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships: Day Three
Friday’s rendition of the NCAA Track and Field National Championships featured the literal title runs for each of the men’s events. Members of the Southeastern Conference flexed their conference’s depth. USC and Texas A&M split the week with a tie for 41 overall points while Arkansas claimed third (40), Auburn took fourth (35) and New […]

Friday’s rendition of the NCAA Track and Field National Championships featured the literal title runs for each of the men’s events. Members of the Southeastern Conference flexed their conference’s depth.
USC and Texas A&M split the week with a tie for 41 overall points while Arkansas claimed third (40), Auburn took fourth (35) and New Mexico rounded out the top five with 31 points.
Another chapter of Hayward Field history is in the books.
Oklahoma’s Ralford Mullings got the title-claiming day started by winning the Men’s Discus title by nearly three meters over anyone else. His 69.31-meter throw finished well above second-place-finisher Mykolas Alekna’s (California) mark and got an impressive field day for the Sooners started.
The first track event to name a winner was the Men’s Wheelchair 100m. Illinois’ Evan Correll (14.46 seconds) bested a trio of Arizona Wildcats, spinning his wheels as fast as he could to claim a national title for the Fighting Illini.
Patrons began to trickle into Hayward Field as the Men’s 4x100m Relay took center stage. Auburn’s men took first with a combined 38.33-second road, besting the USC Trojans (38.46), who were looking for every possible point on a day where they hunted an overall championship.
Washington’s Nathan Green (3:47.26) took first in the Men’s 1500m for the second time in three years, bringing another track and field title to Mont Lake, Washington. The Huskies boast a stellar track and field program, with athletes like Green showing why.
The Oklahoma Sooners dominated the Men’s Triple Jump with teammates Brandon Green Jr. (16.81m) and Floyd Whitaker (16.41m) claiming the top two respective spots.
BYU’s James Corrigan took home the Men’s Steeplechase National Championship with his 8:16.41 time. The Olympian dazzled at Hayward and received a secondary round of applause during his post-run interview by announcing that he and his wife are expecting a child at the end of the year.
Ole Miss junior Arvesta Troupe claimed victory in the Men’s High Jump with a 2.27m leap, the only in the field to do so after several tiebreaking rounds. He took the title over a pair of Texas State Bobcats — Kason O’Riley and Aiden Hayes — who tied for second with a 2.20m mark.
Auburn’s big day continued as Ja’Kobe Tharp claimed first place in the Men’s 110m Hurdles with his 13.05-second time. Nearly half the field tripped at some point in the race, but Tharp stayed steady to claim victory.
Jordan Anthony won the Men’s 100m in a flash with his 10.07-second time. The Arkansas Razorback won the SEC-loaded field in the 10 most electric seconds of the day. USC’s Mac Thomas finished just one ten-thousandth of a second ahead of LSU’s Jelani Watkins as the two took second and third respectively.
Oregon fans in attendance didn’t have much to get rowdy for on the home side on Friday. Not a single Duck took first in any event and Oregon was far from making the overall leaderboard.
Alabama’s Samuel Ogazi claimed victory in the Men’s 400m dash with a 44.84-second time in a sprint that was never really in question. The Iron-Bowl rivalry of Alabama and Auburn dazzled at Hayward on Friday as the SEC flexed its dominance.
Texas A&M’s Sam Whitmarsh, who took second in the event last year — dominated the Men’s 800m from the start to win it with a time of 1:45.86. Oregon’s Matthew Erickson took second with a time of 1:46.32. His teammate, Koitatoi Kidali, was wincing off the start, but rallied to return to finish ninth in the event.
Whitmarsh pointed out the SEC’s presence at the Outdoor National Championships after his win, saying “just look at the field”, one that was full of SEC representatives in nearly every event.
A pair of Razorbacks placed in the event, bringing the Arkansas men into a tie with USC for first overall with six events left to be scored. Minnesota and New Mexico, which started the day in first and second respectively, fell to seventh and fifthth overall by the time the day ended.
The Men’s 400m Hurdles was an especially-electric event after it was delayed by several distractions. Once it finally got going, Hayward Field got rowdy as Baylor’s Nathaniel Ezekiel ran away with a title with his 47.49-second time, a new personal best. He fell to the ground after falling just short of the 47.02 NCAA record.
The Men’s 200m ended up being one of the closest races of the day. Kentucky’s Carli Makarawu set a new Zimbabwe national record with his 19.84-second time. Three athletes ran under 20 seconds as Auburn’s Makanakaishe Charamba (19.92) and USC’s Garrett Kaalund (19.96) took second and third respectively.
24 long-distance runners competed in the Men’s 5000m, but it was Oklahoma State’s Brian Musau’s 12:20.59-second time that won it all when it was all said and done. The leading pack dwindled with each passing lap until one Cowboy remained to claim victory.
The Men’s 4x400m ended the day and the men’s 2025 track and field season. The Bulls of South Florida earned a national title for the Sunshine State with a 3:00.42-minute time and finalized the team scores for the week.
The medal ceremony and presentation capped off another impressive year of athletic feats and built the anticipation for Saturday’s women’s slate.
Sports
Tatham Wins NCAA Bronze – Florida State University
EUGENE, Ore. – The Florida State men’s outdoor track and field team concluded the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Friday at Hayward Field with Kyvon Tatham winning bronze medal in the triple jump. After finishing seventh in 2024, Tatham finished third behind a mark of 16.23m (53-3) for his second consecutive first-team All-America honor. The Miami […]

After finishing seventh in 2024, Tatham finished third behind a mark of 16.23m (53-3) for his second consecutive first-team All-America honor. The Miami native remained in the top five through all six attempts with his biggest jump coming in the third round. Among the 20 All-America honors in program history in the triple jump, FSU has seen four top 10 finishes in the last five seasons.
The 20th-ranked women’s team will begin competition on Saturday with the women’s 4×100-meter relay at 9:02 p.m. ET in addition to four individual events. Expanded coverage throughout the meet can also be found on the ESPN family of networks and can be accessed at Seminoles.com. Live Results will be available here.
FLORIDA STATE NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JUNE 14- Women’s finals
9:02 p.m. 4x100m relay
9:10 p.m. Triple jump-Kayla Pinkard
10:02 p.m. 100m –Shenese Walker
10:14 p.m. 400m – Kaelyaah Liburd
10:21 p.m. 4x400m relay
10:27 p.m. 400m hurdles – Tyra Wilson
For more information on Florida State track and field, follow Twitter (X) @FSU_Track and Instagram @FSU_Track.
Sports
Texas A&M shares NCAA men’s track & field title after big finish in final event
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Sports
Returning stars help China dominate Super Final opening day
The trio of Chang Hao, Feng Yu and Xiang Binxuan, who were part of their nation’s history-making Paris 2024 gold medal-winning line-up, made their first World Cup appearances of the season to help China claim victory in the Team Technical event. Earlier home-nation favourite Xu Huiyan, who was also part of that team line-up, had the […]

The trio of Chang Hao, Feng Yu and Xiang Binxuan, who were part of their nation’s history-making Paris 2024 gold medal-winning line-up, made their first World Cup appearances of the season to help China claim victory in the Team Technical event.
Earlier home-nation favourite Xu Huiyan, who was also part of that team line-up, had the first of three victories, in the Women’s Solo Technical and then alongside Lin Yanjun in the Women’s Duet Technical.
The other contest – the Men’s Solo Technical final – saw Diego Villalobos Carrillo of Mexico deny China a clean-sweep of the opening day honours by edging out teenager Guo Muye, who was second.
Team Technical – China, Spain and Japan Secure Podium Finishes
Spain attained a clean-sweep of the Team Technical titles across the Paris, Somabay and Markham legs of the regular World Cup circuit and delivered another highly energetic as well as entertaining execution of their routine to the iconic ‘Backstreet’s Back’ track.
276.1408 was short of their highest score of the season, 276.2168 in Canada, but was still highly competitive and described as “world class” by commentator Andrea Holland.
It put the Olympic bronze medallists in strong contention for victory, moving more than four points clear of rivals Japan at this stage, who had attained an overall score of 266.6599 for their ‘Basketball’ theme performance.
Image Source: Spain took silver in the Team Technical event in Xi’an (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
However, there was still one team to take to the water, China, the reigning Olympic, World and Asian champions who were debuting their new routine.
As expected, the eight-strong line-up delivered a dazzling display with power, precision as well as creativity, and in short, pure class.
The crowed enjoyed witnessing the performance and so did the judges, who awarded them an event-winning total of 277.2258, a margin of victory by 1.0850 points from Spain.
“I’d rate us an 8/10,” Olympic champion Chang Hao told World Aquatics after the medal ceremony.
“We’re currently in a transition period with veteran and new athletes working together, so there are inevitably still some (team integration) and coordination issues to work through.
Chang continued: “That’s why we need more time to repeatedly refine our teamwork before we can perform at our best.
“But honestly, after these seven months of intensive closed-door training, we’ve already shown significant improvement compared to before”
But honestly, after these seven months of intensive closed-door training, we’ve already shown significant improvement compared to before.”
Olympic bronze medallist Paula Ramirez admitted the Spanish team “loved” China’s routine and were “amazed” by their performance.
“They are so good and also we think it’s super artistic, that is the thing we love most. I think it’s the best routine together with ours.”
Team-mate Cristina Arambula Casares continued: “I think we did a great performance.
“We are trying to perfect our routine at every competition, and we are one step closer to the World Championships.”
Former World champion Tomoka Sato of Japan said her side did their “best” on the day, but “have a lot to improve” on, after witnessing the performances of China and Spain.
Kazakhstan were disqualified from the nine-strong final after an error was made with the naming of one of their athletes in the pre-event paperwork.
Women’s Duet Technical – China, Japan and Spain Set The Standard
As an Olympic discipline the Women’s Duet events always a highly-anticipated affairs and this 11-strong final featured a host of athletes expected to be challenging for major honours at the World Aquatics Championships in July.
China’s Wang Qianyi and Wang Liuyi claimed gold at Paris 2024, but they are still absent from their nation’s elite squad after post-Games breaks and in their absence Lin sisters Yanjun and Yanhan performed well on the World Cup circuit.
They placed second and third in Markham, but since returning to training in their homeland, the partnership has been revised, with Yanhan replaced by 19-year-old Xu Huiyan.
They are now reaping the rewards, with the pair attaining an astounding combined total of 289.6150 to finish 8.1841 points clear of Japan’s highly experienced duo Moe Higa and Tomoka Sato, who have won 16 World Championship honours between them.
Rounding off the top-three were the rapidly improving teenage duo of Txell Ferrer Gaset and Lilou Lluis Valette (277.8075), who were the youngest members of Spain’s Olympic bronze medal-winning line-up at Paris 2024.
“Compared to when I partnered with my sister, Huiyan is technically more accomplished,” Lin told World Aquatics. “Working with her gives me greater stability – I can focus on refining my own movements while synchronising with her rhythm.”
Xu added: “Considering we’ve only been training together for three weeks, I think we’ve made significant progress. But if you’re asking whether we could do better – absolutely.”
Image Source: Xu Huiyan and Lin Yanjun won Women’s Duet Technical gold for China (World Aquatics)
Sato stated she and Higa needed to improve ahead of Singapore 2025, if they are to challenge for a place on the top step of the podium.
“As a new duo, we felt extremely nervous, but we trained intensely before the competition and trusted in our skills,” she told World Aquatics.
“We performed our best today but we still failed to win the gold medal, so we need to work harder and we want to improve our artistic expression in the future.”
Image Source: Moe Higa and Tomoka Sato’s claimed silver in the Women’s Duet Technical (World Aquatics)
Spanish duet Ferrer Gaset and Lluis Valette said “enjoyment” was a key factor in their performance as they gain more experience as a duet.
“We feel very proud of our performance, but also, we are looking forward to keeping, improving our routine,” said Ferrer Gaset. “Our goal for the World Championships is to just enjoy, and we know that if we enjoy, we can show our best very soon.”
Women’s Solo Technical – Xu, Tio Casas and Khandoshka Claim Impressive Medals
The first action of the opening day at the 2025 Super Final saw the a high-class 12-strong field deliver some of the strongest performances witnessed in the water this season.
Unfortunately for Maria Alavidze of Georgia, who was seen as an outside medal contender after a podium finish in Markham and strong displays across the season, she incurred a base mark and reduced degree of difficulty score, which put her out of contention.
European silver medallist Iris Tio Casas, who was part of Spain’s Olympic bronze medal-winning line-up in 2024, is competing in the solo disciplines for the first time on the World Cup circuit this season and won in her debut in Paris.
Her ‘stay with you’ themed routine continues to undergo adaptations, but it was another strong display from the 22-year-old, who will also compete in Mixed Duet Free final with Dennis Gonzalez Boneu over the weekend.
She scored 249.3550 to move into medal contention.
Image Source: Iris Tio Casas performed strongly to begin the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming Super Final with Women’s Solo Technical silver (World Aquatics)
Germany’s Klara Bleyer, who won the Solo Free title at European Championships earlier this month, is enjoying her best season to date, but her score of 246.0801 would see her miss out on a further podium in the Super Final.
That was also the case for Japan’s Moe Higa, who scored 239.3450, but one of the most consistent performers so far in 2025 – Vasilina Khandoshka – would make the podium with a score of 248.2900, for her ‘Funny Girl’ themed routine.
Only China’s Xu Huiyan could deny Tio Casas and Khandoshka the major medals. In front of adoring home fans, she would do just that.
The teenager executed a spellbinding ‘Love sickness’ routine with strong musicality and technical skills, at the beginning of a stunning day of success for the World junior champion; her score of 258.7933 was enough for a clear victory by more than 9.4383.
“The schedule is tight, but it’s an honour to participate in so many events,” said Xu. “I’m competing at home and the audience was so excited so I was a little nervous and I wanted to perform better, but I made progress in my physical ability.”
Image Source: Xu Huiyan won her first of three golds on the opening day in the Women’s Solo Technical (World Aquatics)
Silver medallist Tio Casas told World Aquatics she was “quite happy” with her performance and hopes to continue improving ahead of Singapore 2025.
“I feel good because it was the first competition today,” she said. “Physically, I’m in great shape, my legs feel strong. I did nice elements, and also my swimming went well. I’ll also be competing in the duet and team events, so I’ll stay mentally focused to maintain consistency.”
Men’s Solo Technical – Villalobos Carrillo, Guo And Tomblin Take The Honours
Given the run of success for the home nation across the other disciplines on the opening day of the 2025 Super Final there was more than a little pressure on China’s Guo Muye to continue that run in what was the third event of the day.
The 17-year-old claimed six medals, including three golds, at last year’s World Junior Championships after making an impressive debut to his World Cup career at the Beijing leg of the 2024 campaign.
There he had placed second in the Solo Tech and first in Mixed Duet Tech final, before claiming three golds in four solo events during this campaign.
Image Source: Guo Muye earned silver for China in the Men’s Solo Technical event (World Aquatics)
A score of 224.0400 for his ‘wizard’ themed routine was marginally short of the gold medal-winning total he attained in the event in Somabay earlier in the year, but still enough to put him top of the rankings at that stage of the competition.
It had edged him ahead of European champion Ranjuo Tomblin of Great Britain, who is enjoying the best season of his career and put himself into contention for a further honour with a total of 220.8334 following his ‘Classical Meets Contemporary’ display.
The penultimate athlete to plunge into the pool was Diego Villalobos Carrillo of Mexico who had never attained a World Cup win, following a smattering of previous silver and bronze medals.
One of the performances of his life followed, with a score of 225.0841 helping him land that maiden major victory in the sport, an achievement he stated he was “very proud” of.
“I feel so happy for my work, for my performance and it was a very, very nice routine for me”
“It is a very new routine, which is special for me and I have prepared it for six months. My next plan is the World Championships, and hopefully I can win a medal there.”
Guo admitted “nerves” impacted his performance, but hopes to improve in the Free final over the weekend.
“There were several areas that fell short of expectations, particularly in artistic expression and the first compulsory element,” he told World Aquatics. “I felt quite nervous—the pressure was greater here at the Final, especially competing on home soil.”
Image Source: Ranjuo Tomblin of Great Britain completed the podium in the Men’s Solo Technical event (World Aquatics)
Great Britain’s Tomblin admitted he was experiencing a little fatigue after travelling to China soon after the European Championships concluded in Funchal, Madeira, but that he felt “okay” about the result in Xi’an.
“I really like the venue – it’s a really nice pool,” Tomblin told World Aquatics. “We just came back from Europeans a couple of days ago before flying out here, so the schedule is tight.
“I’ve been building it throughout the season, competing at the World Cups and I’ve been gaining experience so hopefully it will turn out well for the World Championships.”
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