Brazilian top diver Cesar Castro is expecting a better performance in his second Olympic trip.
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Brazilian top diver Cesar Castro （Right） |
"I'm feeling very good, and excited for the Olympic Games," said the men's 3m springboard diver Monday.
"This is my second Olympic Games, and this time I'm diving better than when I was in Athens," he said after training at the National Aquatics Center, known as the "Water Cube".
Castro became the first Brazilian diver to make an Olympic final in 52 years when he qualified for the 3m springboard final in 2004.
The last Brazilian diver to make an Olympic diving final was Milton Busin at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
Castro said he started hard preparation for the Beijing Olympics in last October and trained seven hours a day. Two weeks ago, his coach cut down his training to four or five hours per day.
"I try to focus when I warm up here, but when I'm in the village I relax. My coaches tell me just to relax so I watch DVDs, movies and rest," said Castro.
He felt no pressure from the coming Olympics. "Sometimes I do feel a little nervous before my first dive, but I always feel good afterwards."
Praising the facilities of the Water Cube, the 26-year-old said "the springboards here are perfect. Everything here is perfect, much better than in Athens. It is amazing."
Castro started diving at nine when he was invited to join a club training of his home city Brasilia. He finished third in the FINA Grand Prix Madrid leg in 2005 and took silver in the Grand Prix Venice leg in 2006.
(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2008)