Shi Tingmao (R) and Wang Han of China pose with their gold and silver medals after competing in diving women's 3m springboard final in the Tokyo Olympics at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo, Japan, August 1, 2021. /CFP
China's Shi Tingmao won the gold medal during the Tokyo Olympics women's 3m springboard final on Sunday.
Shi retained golds in both women's 3m springboard and synchronized 3m springboard events. She already won four diving Olympic championships, matching Chinese legends Fu Mingxian and Guo Jingjing. Only Wu Minxia (five) and Guo Ruolin (five) won more than Shi did.
Shi's teammate Wang Han had the silver, followed by Krysta Palmer of the U.S.
Chinese athletes have not missed the Olympic gold medal of women's 3m springboard since 1988 in Seoul. This was the ninth straight time for them to win its title.
Shi Tingmao of China competes in diving women's 3m springboard final in the Tokyo Olympics at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, August 1, 2021. /CFP
Shi was rated 76.50, 76.50, 75.00, 77.50 and 78.00 respectively in each of her five dives, which are in order: inward 2½ somersaults (405B), back 2½ somersaults (205B), reverse 2½ somersaults (305B), forward 3½ somersaults (107B) and forward 2½ somersaults 1 twist (5152B).
Shi's remarkable performance in every dive put her far ahead from the beginning, leaving basically no chance for others to compete with her. The major battle for the silver and bronze was between Wang and Palmer.
Though Wang did not reach 70 points between her second and fourth dive, she beat Palmer in four of the five bouts before finishing second in the contest with 348.72 points.