China’s young platform divers swept the top of the podium on the fifth day of diving competition at the World Championships, and the American women’s medal drought in Olympic events is officially over.
Women’s 10-meter was the only final event to take place today, the fifth day of competition.
Chen Yuxi won by a stunning 61.2 points. She performed two dives for 94.05 points. One of those dives was an armstand back triple tuck (626C), which received 10s from the judges. Throughout prelims and finals she never wavered from the gold medal position.
Chen’s teammate Lu Wei followed behind her, and both women are only 14 years old. Lu’s highest scoring dive was also a 626C, for which she earned 84.15 points. After her second dive, Lu was tied for sixth with Delaney Schnell. Both women made a comeback.
Finishing only 13 points before Lu, Schnell earned a bronze medal for the United States. Her best dive in finals was a back three-and-a-half tuck (207C), which received a score of 82.50.
Laura Wilkinson was the last American woman to win an individual medal at the World Championships. Wilkinson’s win was in 2005. That’s the same year the Chen and Lu were born.
Sarah Bacon won the first individual medal on one-meter springboard in the last 14 years on the first day of competition. Schnell’s bronze is the first in an Olympic event.
Individual 10-meter platform is an Olympic qualifier event, and all of these divers will be hoping to compete for their country next summer. The Chinese and American teams both had two divers final, which means they have earned the maximum number of Olympic spots in women’s platform.
Diving continues tomorrow with men’s three-meter springboard, another Olympic qualifier event.