Defending world champions to arrive in Kazan for FINA/NVC world series

Yet another diving tournament featuring the world’s best athletes is scheduled to be held at the Aquatics Palace, Kazan on April 22-24. The 4th leg of the FINA/NVC World Series will bring together 72 athletes from 12 countries, including winners of the 16th FINA World Championships in Kazan.

The star-studded line-up will feature such names as Xiaohu Tai, He Chao and Cao Yuan (the latter is 2012 and 2015 champion and 2013 world silver medallist). Another Chinese diving legend, Shi Tingmao, took gold medals at three consecutive world championships. She earned two titles at Kazan 2015, one title at Barcelona 2013 and one more title at Shanghai 2011. Her teammate, Si Yajie, won gold in the women’s 10m individual platform at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona (she was 14 back then) and another gold in the 10m mixed synchro (in tandem with Xiaohu Tai) at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan.

The Russian men’s national diving team will be composed of Ilya Zakharov and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Zakharov is six-time European champion, Olympic champion (London 2012), two-time world silver medallist (Kazan 2015, Shanghai 2011) and Olympic silver medallist (London 2012). He also claimed gold medal at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan together with his teammate, Evgeny Kuznetsov, world silver medallist (Kazan 2015, Barcelona 2013, Shanghai 2011) and world bronze medallist (Shanghai 2011).

Great Britain’s Tom Dailey, world champion in the team event and bronze medallist in the men’s 10m platform at the FINA World Championships in Kazan, will also come to Kazan to attempt to lay claim to medals. Other big names at the tournament are two-time silver medallist of Kazan 2015 and silver and bronze medallist of Barcelona 2013 and Shanghai 2011, Jennifer Abel of Canada; gold and bronze medallist of the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Tania Cagnotto of Italy; world bronze medallist (Kazan 2015) and world silver medallist (Shanghai 2011, Melbourne 2007), Melissa Wu of Australia.

74 volunteers will contribute their time and efforts across a range of functional areas, among them Broadcasting, Communications, Doping Control, Event Services, Medical Service, Field of Play, Sports Presentations, Transportation, Team Attachés, Press Operations, Protocol, Help Desk, Volunteer Headquarters. The tournament will be officiated by 15 judges (10 internationally certified judges and 5 national ones).