Cao Yuan Wins Gold at Paris 2024 Diving, Leading China’s Historic Sweep
Cao Yuan defended his title, winning gold in the men’s 10m platform at Paris 2024, marking China’s clean sweep of eight gold medals in diving. Tamai Rikuto earned silver, and Noah Williams secured bronze for Team GB. The event concluded with a historic performance from Cao, who became the first to win gold in three different diving events.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, defending champion Cao Yuan of the People’s Republic of China won gold in the men’s 10m platform diving event. His triumph marked an extraordinary achievement, as it was part of an historic clean sweep of eight gold medals for the Chinese diving team in the competition. Tamai Rikuto from Japan secured the silver medal, scoring 507.65, while Team GB’s Noah Williams clinched bronze with a score of 497.35, adding to his silver medal in synchro diving with Tom Daley.
Cao Yuan, who has now earned his fourth Olympic gold, delivered an outstanding performance, achieving his highest score of 97.20 on a back 3.5 somersault dive in the third round. Reflecting on his success, he stated, “I just focused on my dives, not the scores… I’m happy to help China gain the final gold. It’s historical, congratulations to China.”
Tamai Rikuto made a remarkable comeback, scoring 99 points on his final dive. However, he struggled earlier with a lower score of 39.10 on a reverse dive. He expressed his exhilaration, stating, “I believed in myself… when I came up again, I would hear the sound from the crowd, and I knew I’d done well. I was amazed by myself.”
Noah Williams also faced challenges, notably a disappointing third-round score of 63.00, but he regained his momentum with two scores above 90 points in his final dives. He commented, “I actually think it played to my advantage going first… I wasn’t doing the fifth and sixth dive in my head thinking, ‘let’s chase that medal again.’”
Overall, the diving competition concluded with China solidifying its dominance, while Team GB finished second in the diving medal table, amassing one silver and four bronze medals. Notably, Cao Yuan is the first athlete since Greg Louganis in 1988 to defend his gold medal in the men’s 10m platform event and the first diver to win gold in three different diving events during the Olympics.
In conclusion, Cao Yuan’s victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics represents a significant milestone in Olympic diving history, contributing to China’s remarkable clean sweep of gold medals. The achievements of divers Tamai Rikuto and Noah Williams further highlighted the competitive nature of the event. This year’s diving competitions not only showcased individual talent but also reinforced China’s dominance in the sport, setting a high standard for future Olympic Games.
Original Source: www.olympics.com
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