Dominant Chinese divers vie for golden sweep in Paris

Hong Kong — China bagged seven out of the eight diving golds at the last two Olympics and in Paris will aim to become the first country to sweep all the titles at a Summer Games since the US in 1952.

While Chinese athletes similarly dominated the diving events at the first two world championships after the Tokyo Olympics, there was some encouragement for their rivals in Qatar earlier in 2024 when four golds went to other nations.

China sent a team with a mix of experience and emerging talent to Qatar, but will be back at full strength when the Olympic gold medals are on the line at the Paris Aquatics Centre from July 27 to August 10.

Foremost among their defending champions is Quan Hongchan, who became an overnight sensation in China after winning Tokyo gold at the age of 14.

The main threat to her bid to retain the women’s 10m platform title is likely to be teammate Chen Yuxi, the silver medallist from three years ago.

The duo have been dubbed China’s “double insurance” for Paris with expectations high that they will win the synchronised 10m platform title together before batting it out for individual gold.

“It doesn’t matter which of us gets the gold,” Quan told local media. “As long as it is China’s, it’s OK.”

The scenario is similar in the women’s 3m springboard where world No 1 Chen Yiwen has won every single title this year except in Doha, when her teammate Chang Yani snatched gold.

The pair, best friends and both first-time Olympians, have won the 3m synchronised event in most world tournaments over the past couple years.

Chang, however, is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in March, which she feels could affect her performance and the pair’s chances of winning China’s first gold in Paris.

“I am not a gifted athlete and I really need to keep training to stay where I want to be,” Chang told CCTV.

“Three weeks rest is the longest I’ve ever had in my life and this is a really heavy blow to me.”

There should be stronger competition for the Chinese divers in the men’s events.

China’s Yang Hao has won seven global and regional titles in the 10m platform event since 2023 and with Lian Junjie has dominated the synchronised event over the past couple of years.

Defending champion Cao Yuan, 29, is likely to provide stiff competition in the individual 10m event.

“It will be my fourth Olympics. This time it will be more challenging,” Cao told CCTV earlier this year.

In the synchronised event, Yang and Lian will come up against British icon Tom Daley, who has come out of retirement to defend the title with a different partner, Noah Williams.

Daley, his country’s second-youngest male Olympian at the age of 14 in Beijing in 2008, is set to become the first British diver to compete at five Summer Olympics after being named in the team for Paris.

Now 30, Daley teamed up with Williams to win silver at the world championships in Doha in February as well as a World Cup gold medal in Berlin in March.

In the men’s 3m springboard event, China’s Wang Zongyuan, who has won all the major world titles this year, is poised to compete in both individual and synchronised events.

Mexican Osmar Olvera will seek to deny Wang top spot on the top of the podium in Paris after coming second to him in four world series events this year.

Olvera became the first diver from a country other than China to claim the world title in the 1m springboard event in nearly 20 years after winning gold in Doha in February.

Reuters