by Tan Jingjing, Li Jia

    BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Olympic champion Guo Jingjing breezed through the springboard semifinal at Beijing Olympics on Saturday evening, paving the way to claim an historic fourth Olympic title.

    An individual gold is what Guo centers on and wants most, after she was crowned at springboard synchro with her partner Wu Minxia on home soil last Sunday.

    Should the overwhelming favorite succeeded in her attempt, she would create history as the first-ever diver to sweep both individual and synchro gold in two consecutive Olympic Games.

    Moreover, she would collect up to six Olympic medals to break the record holding by Fu Mingxia, who grabbed five.

    Guo led throughout the semifinal and posted the top qualifying score of 398.55, beating closest rival Russian Julia Pakhalina with over 15 points.

    The photogenic 26-year-old opened with a near perfect back two-and-a-half somersault, to signal who was boss from the outset.

    She stunned her competitors with her fifth dive, an inward two-and-a-half somersault in pike position, achieving the best score of the semifinal at 82.50.

    "I don't feel pressure from the upcoming final," said the diving diva. "I won't think too much about result, but concentrate on every dive."

    "It's hard to know how the final will be like. I will just try my best for that," she added.

    Guo's teammate Wu Minxia, also her customary strongest rival for the gold medal, finished third in the semifinal, nearly 40 points lower than second-placed Pakhalina.

    The top three qualifiers are considered strong competitors for gold. Besides, Blythe Hartley of Canada, winner of the 1m springboard at 2001 and 2005 World Championships, and Aussie Sharleen Stratton, current world No. 2 in this event, will launch tough battle for a medal.

    Foreseeing the final, Pakhalina said everybody is capable for gold. She would take good rest and think positive, trying to show her best on Sunday.

    The Russian veteran, winner of Sydney Olympics and the springboard bronze medalist of the Athens Games, vowed to spare no efforts to challenge the Chinese.

    The springboard gold is the fifth one that the Chinese "dream team" eyes at the Beijing Olympics. Spearheaded by Guo, superpower China is ambitious to take over all of the eight gold medals in front of home fans.

    China has won 26 Olympic titles out of 40 in the last 24 years since Zhou Jihong gained the country's first diving gold in women's 10m platform in 1984 Los Angeles Games.