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Diving diva Guo Jingjing to skip Asian Games

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-07 10:34

China's Olympic diving champion Guo Jingjing in file photo. [Xinhua]

WUHAN - Olympic diving champion Guo Jingjing will not compete in this year's Asian Games in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the head of the Chinese diving team confirmed on Friday.

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"We have selected a 20-memeber provisional squad for the diving events of Guangzhou Asian Games, and Guo Jingjing is not included, " Zhou Jihong told reporters at a press conference for the Chinese Diving Series which kicks off here on Saturday.

"The squad will be eventually cut down to 16. Guo's name will not appear in the roster, that is for sure," she added.

The most decorated woman diver in Olympic history and China's most famous female athlete, Guo has won six Olympic medals, four of them gold including a double in last year's Beijing Olympics, but there has been mounting speculation about her future in the sport.

Before Beijing 2008 she said that she would retire after those Games but later backtracked. The 29-year-old has been in lay-off since the East Asian Games last December.

"Whether she will resume training or retire, we have to wait and see," said Zhou.