SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Chinese diver Wang Zongyuan was reduced to tears on the pool deck, disappointed with a second straight Olympic silver medal after going unbeaten in the 3-meter springboard over the last three years.
Wang hadn’t lost a major diving competition in the event since the Tokyo Olympics, where he finished behind teammate Xie Siyi. After that silver, Wang won three straight world championship titles and was the favorite entering the Paris Olympics.
But Thursday brought another Olympic silver medal, again finishing behind Xie.
“It is regrettable I lost,” Wang said through an interpreter. “But this is competitive sports. There’s always going to be a winner or a loser. I must learn to accept any failure and my response is to make a greater effort to improve myself.”
Even if Wang was the loser, China’s dominant divers were winners again. It was China’s sixth gold medal in diving at the Paris Olympics as it stays on track for an unprecedented sweep of all eight.
China has ruled diving for decades but never has taken all eight golds.
Xie scored 543.60 points on six dives, Wang had 530.20 and 20-year-old Osmar OIvera of Mexico finished with 500.40 for the bronze.
American diver Carson Tyler was fourth with 429.25 points.
Olvera took silver earlier in the Olympics in men’s 3-meter synchronized while paired with Juan Celaya. Mexico has won 17 medals in diving, its highest total in any event.
“We know that China is the team to beat,” Olvera said. “They require you to be your best and that gives me motivation.”
China has won the men’s 3-meter springboard in seven of the last eight Olympics. The only slipup came at the 2012 London Olympics when Ilya Zakharov of Russia won. Russian divers are absent this time because of the invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
Including Thursday’s results, China has won 53 of 70 gold medals in diving since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where it won its first. Since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the country has won 33 of 38 gold medals in the discipline.
Xie was asked if Chinese divers are feeling pressure going for all eight.
“The pressure is something that every athlete needs to overcome,” he said through an interpreter. “I would rather see the pressure as motivation.”
Mexico came close to upsetting China in the men’s 3-meter synchronized earlier when Olvera and Celaya took silver behind Wang and Long Daoyi. China won with 446.10 points, while Mexico had 444.03.
Diving wraps up with the women’s 3-meter springboard on Friday and the men’s 10-meter platform on Saturday.
Women’s 3-meter springboard semifinals
Chinese diver Chen Yiwen topped the semifinals of women’s 3-meter springboard on Thursday with the finals set for Friday.
Chen scored 360.85 points. She was followed by Maddison Keeney of Australia (334.70), Chiara Pellacani of Italy (324.75) and Chang Yani of China (320.15).
No Americans advanced to the finals.
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