World Aquatics Championships 2023: Cheng/Shi win mixed duet free title as artistic swimming draws to close in Fukuoka

Cheng Wentao and Shi Haoyu of the People's Republic of China won the last gold medal in artistic swimming at the World Aquatics Championships 2023 on Saturday (22 July), the country’s third in the sport.

Cheng/Shi scored 225.1020 to take the mixed duet free title with Mexico’s Itzamary Gonzalez Cuellar and Diego Villalobos Carrilo (192.5500) claiming silver in Fukuoka.

Dennis Gonzalez Boneu and Mireia Hernandez Luna of Spain took bronze (183.4207).

The mixed duet technical champions, Japanese siblings Sato Tomoka and Yotaro, pulled out a day earlier after Yotaro became ill.

With the Satos out of the mix, the competition was set to turn into a three-way dogfight.

Garcia/Gonzalez Boneu and Cheng/Shi had won silver and bronze in the technical, respectively, while Gonzalez Cuellar/Villalobos Carrilo were fourth.

On this day however, the Chinese pair were a cut above the rest, posting an execution score of 138.4020 - 26 more than the Mexicans - behind the most difficult program in the field (35.7500).

Shi unabashedly basked in the glory following the performance.

“I felt today’s performance was crazy because we changed four elements,” he said. “I think this is our best score.

“I think we are the best team and we are doing very well. We are proud of our team.”

Hosts Japan, who led artistic swimming with four golds, were named the best team of the meet. Sunday sees the start of swimming at these World Championships.

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