July 31, 2024; PARIS, FRANCE; Gold medalists Yuxi Chen and Hongchan Quan (CHN), silver medalists Jin Mi Jo and Mi Rae Kim (PRK), and bronze medalists Andrea Spendolini Sirieix and Lois Toulson (GBR) stand on the podium during the women’s 10m platform synchronized diving event at the Aquatics Centre at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports PARIS — China’s Wang Zhongyuan and Long Daoyi defended their men’s synchronized 3m springboard title at the Paris Olympics on Friday, earning their country its fourth gold medal in the event and keeping its goal of finishing top of all eight diving events at the 2024 Olympics.
Mexico’s Juan Zelaya and Osmar Olvera won silver, while Britain’s Anthony Harding and Jack Lager took bronze.
The Chinese pair recovered from two problematic dives to secure the lead with a near-perfect final routine. They finished with a best score of 95.76 points on their final dive, finishing with 446.10 points.
“We have never had such a passionate, thrilling and difficult competition before. This is the first time we have faced such a challenge,” Wang told reporters.
“We made a few mistakes but I told him (Long) to find himself and play at his usual level and that there was nothing to be afraid of.”
The Mexicans, along with their British counterparts, performed the most difficult dive of Friday’s competition, a 2-1/2-turn somersault into a pike position followed by three twists.
Celaya and Olvera, who executed their dives cleanly, took the lead in the fourth round but lost by 2.07 points in their attempt to upset China. The silver is Mexico’s first Olympic medal in men’s synchronised diving since London 2012.
“We had one dream, one goal,” Olvera said. “We almost achieved it. We were very close to China. Of course, they are not invincible, so we are very, very satisfied with our result.”
The 22-year-old Wang won gold in the 3m synchronized swimming event with partner Hsieh Shih in Tokyo three years ago. He is also dominant in the individual 3m springboard event starting in 2022.
Long, a year younger than Wang, teamed with him to win a world title in synchronized swimming in early 2023, but made mistakes on two dives in her Olympic debut.
“The first two dives I was a little scared and a little tight and made mistakes,” Long said. “The last two dives I was a little nervous.”
Wang and Mexico’s Olvera will compete again in the men’s individual 3m springboard event.
Olvera won gold in Doha in February, becoming the first diver outside of China to win a world title in the 1m springboard event in nearly 20 years.
He will be looking to unseat Wang, who finished second to the Chinese diver in four World Series events this year.
Britain’s Lager won gold in the 3m event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Harding made her Olympic debut on Friday.
–Reuters, Field Level Media Special Report
