German diver Timo Barthel has revealed the huge sacrifices Chinese athletes have made in order to win gold at the Olympics in Paris, claiming that some of his rivals have not seen their families for three years.
Team GB’s Tom Daley and Noah Williams produced six superb dives in the men’s 10m synchro diving final on Monday but they were beaten to the gold medal by China’s duo of Lian Junjie and Hao Yang.
Barthel and his partner Jaden Eikermann represented Germany in the event and finished seventh overall with 364.41 points.
Tom Daley and Noah Williams ended with silver after an ‘incredible’ display from China (EPA)
And speaking after the final, Barthel claims the strict regime of China’s diving team plays a major role in their success at the Olympics.
‘Even with our best performance, we would have finished sixth today,’ Barthel said.
‘And in Germany, a medal counts. Everyone talks and reports about it. And whether we finish fourth or seventh doesn’t make much difference. So I’m proud of us and happy that we made it and qualified. We were in the final, we’re in seventh place, and no one can take that away from us.
‘That was the toughest competition this year. Insane. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a 490 before. Awesome competition.’