Perfect 10s as Quan dominates
Print Edition
It could have been confused for a lesson in computer coding on the scoreboard: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10.
And in some ways, it was.
China鈥檚 divers are programmed from an early age to strive for perfection. The 14-year-old Quan Hongchan delivered it with two of her five dives in a dominant performance to claim the gold medal in women鈥檚 10-meter platform at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday.
All seven judges gave Quan perfect 10s for her second and fourth dives in the five-round competition.
Quan dedicated her victory to her mother, who is ill.
鈥淚 want to make enough money to support her,鈥 Quan said through an interpreter. 鈥淚 listen to my coach very carefully and follow his instructions very carefully.鈥
Perfection was first achieved by Quan with an inward 3-1/2 somersaults tuck, then more 鈥渙ohs鈥 and 鈥渁ahs鈥 followed for a backward armstand with 2 somersaults and 1-1/2 twists. For her final dive, a backward pike with 2-1/2 somersaults and 1-1/2 twists, Quan received six more 10s.
With International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach watching at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, Quan ended with 466.20 points to win by a massive margin. Her Chinese teammate Chen Yuxi claimed the silver medal with 425.40 points.
The 15-year-old Chen won the 10-meter platform title at the 2019 world championships and also took gold at these Games in the 10-meter synchronized with teammate Zhang Jiaqi. But Quan 鈥 the youngest member of China鈥檚 Olympic team in Tokyo 鈥 is performing at another level.
Chen acknowledged that Quan already is ahead of where she was when she was Quan鈥檚 age.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 really have a lot of great training techniques,鈥 Chen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more a matter of dive after dive and practice makes perfect.鈥
It marked the fourth consecutive Olympics in which China has won every single women鈥檚 diving event.
Quan became the second-youngest Chinese gold medalist in the event at the Olympics after Fu Mingxia won it in 1992 at age 13.
Perfectly serious during the event, Quan was full of giggles afterward while talking to reporters. Barely tall enough to be seen behind a microphone, Quan said she鈥檇 celebrate by eating 鈥渓atiao,鈥 a spicy Chinese snack.
Asked what she likes doing besides diving, Chen said she enjoys math.
鈥淎t the moment we don鈥檛 have regular schools to go to,鈥 Chen said. 鈥淲e have classes by various tutors.鈥
Melissa Wu of Australia won the bronze with 371.40 points for the second medal of her Olympic career.
The 29-year-old Wu, who was competing at her fourth Olympics, won a silver in 10m synchro at the 2008 Beijing Games with Briony Cole.
Wu, who describes herself as 鈥渉alf-Chinese,鈥 started crying when she began talking about her Chinese grandmother, who died recently.
鈥淚 wanted her to see me win this medal,鈥 Wu said.
Gabriela Garcia Agundez of Mexico finished fourth and Delaney Schnell of the United States finished fifth.
The only diving event that China has not won at the Tokyo Olympics was the men鈥檚 10m synchro, where Tom Daley and Matty Lee of Britain triumphed.
The men鈥檚 10m platform, starting today, will conclude the diving program.
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