PARIS (AFP) – China completed a historic clean sweep of all eight Olympic diving gold medals after Cao Yuan won the men’s 10-metre (m) platform final in Paris on Saturday.
The diving powerhouse finally achieved the feat after going so close in the past two Games. At both Tokyo and Rio they swept to seven of the eight finals, Britain preventing them from the full house on both occasions. At their home Games in Beijing 2008 they also let one escape, with Australia the party spoilers.
“I didn’t think too much about the eight medals but I’m happy to help China gain the final gold. It’s historic, congratulations to China,” said defending champion Cao who was a class above his rivals on Saturday.
He finished on 547.50 points, with Japan’s Rikuto Tamai on 507.65 to claim silver and Briton Noah Williams (497.35) the bronze medal.
Cao became the first to retain his Olympic 10m crown since American Greg Louganis in Seoul 1988. After three of the six-dive final, Cao was being hard pressed by Japanese teenager Tamai. But Tamai, only 17, flopped on his fifth and penultimate effort to clear Cao’s path to the top of the podium.
The Beijing-born 29 year-old was securing his fourth Olympic gold in all after also winning the men’s 3m springboard at Rio 2016 and the men’s synchronised 10m platform title in London four years earlier.
It wasn’t all smiles though in the Chinese corner on the final day of the diving as world champion Yang Hao had a bad day at the office, trailing in last of the 12 finalists over 150 points behind his compatriot.
That was a rare reverse though for China and for those left in their wake at the 2024 Games there was nothing but awe at their rivals’ perfection in Paris.
“I’m always clapping their dives,” said Britain’s Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix after taking bronze to teenage duo of Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi in the women’s synchronised 10m platform.
