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China's Chen Aisen took the gold medal in the men's diving 10-meter platform finals on Saturday from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Here are the medalists and their final scores:
| Medal | Diver | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Chen Aisen | China | 585.30 |
| Silver | German Sanchez | Mexico | 532.70 |
| Bronze | David Boudia | United States | 525.25 |
This was expected to be a race for gold between David Boudia of the United States and Qiu Bo of China, who won gold and silver, respectively, at London in 2012.
But Qiu dug himself an early deficit after he recorded just a 47.25 on a second-round dive, which dropped him from second place after the first round to last.
His Chinese teammate Chen took responsibility for pursuing Boudia and overtook him in the third round with a 102.60 to build a 14.05-point lead.
But Qiu made up for his horrid second-round dive with a fantastic 102.00 mark in the third round to get back into the middle of the pack. He upped it even more in the fourth round with a 102.60, moving back up to the top three.
It didn't last long, though, as inconsistencies dropped him off the podium and into sixth place.
Chen claimed a 17-point lead after four rounds, as Boudia was consistently solid but couldn't put up a huge score through four dives.
That big score finally came in the fifth round with a 102.60, but he couldn't gain any ground thanks to Chen's monster dive of 105.45 to open a 19-point lead.
It all came undone for Boudia in the final round, though. He entered the pool crooked on a forward 4.5 somersault attempt, which garnered a score of 68.45. Because of that, he left the door open for Mexico's German Sanchez, whose final dive of 91.20 surpassed the American for silver.
Boudia had to settle for bronze, while Chen capped off his day with a 108.00 on his last dive to clinch his second Olympic gold in Rio.
Stats courtesy of Rio2016.com.
Even BBC Sport hasn't been embarrassed to admit it.
Moments after the highlights package that showed Jack Laugher's performance in the three-meter springboard final on Tuesday, TV presenter Clare Balding was quick to enthusiastically remind viewers of when they can catch a glimpse of the "better-known Tom Daley" later this week.
It was a moment that summed up the problem with sport; too often we celebrate brands and not success.
It's not Daley's fault that he is the poster boy of British diving. Enjoying a rapid rise as a teenager, his profile has helped raise the sport's image and delivered it to the consciousness of millions of Britons.
But heading into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, his record on the biggest stage wasn't exactly outstanding. Prior to Rio, Daley had just one bronze to his name, won in the 10-meter platform at the 2012 London Games. He's added to that in Brazil with another bronze, this time in the 10-meter synchronised dive.
Laugher has never been too far behind Daley with his exploits at World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Now in Rio, he has made history as Team GB's first-ever gold medallist in diving when he took the top prize with his diving partner, Chris Mears, in the three-meter synchronised springboard last week.
It was an incredible achievement; an equally impressive performance to take the Olympic crown.
But still the buzz is about Daley, who has come nowhere near achieving what Laugher has at the Olympics. The latter's silver medal on Tuesday makes him arguably one of his country's finest-ever Olympians, and yet fans of diving—new and old—are being fed a diet of Daley.
Laugher's tally of two medals isn't what impresses most about him; those stats are irrelevant here. If we're talking those sort of statistics, he's never going to compare with any of the cyclists such as Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Bradley Wiggins or Jason Kenny, who have been serial winners in the velodrome or on the road.
The likes of Victoria Pendleton, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell also have multiple Olympic golds to their name on the bike, reinforcing what a fine cycling team Team GB have nurtured since the Beijing Games.
Laugher stands out as he's making history in his sport, though. He's pushing back the boundaries and giving Britain a standing in a place where they have never really had one. Bucking the trend takes character and no shortage of talent. And history always remembers; being the first by default puts an athlete in the rank of the greatest.
Whereas Daley may well have been a trailblazer coming through the junior ranks and the early days of his senior career, winning what he has in Rio, Laugher blows Daley's achievements out of the water.
And for a sport as niche as diving, Laugher and his teammate Mears are now setting the tone. So why aren't they being celebrated in the same way we see Daley's name being pushed? Why wasn't Laugher's three-meter springboard final as actively pushed as Daley's?
A big part of it is the PR machine. Daley has been the familiar face since before the London Games, and regardless of what he achieves off the board, his name and face carries a brand. Casual observers see him and immediately associate with aquatics.
Isn't about time that changed? Shouldn't we be celebrating and actively promoting greatness? Shouldn't the biggest stars actually be those who win the most important medals, namely the golds?
That's what Laugher has done in Rio, yet he's hardly recognisable, and the publicity he receives—or lack thereof—isn't going to change that any time soon. It doesn't seem to fit the billing that he's a relative unknown and is succeeding. It's a nice narrative, but with Daley the bigger name, the concerted effort is for him to win and bring a justification for the exposure he gets.
The impression is that British diving put all its eggs in one basket with the 22-year-old as he emerged and now all those around Daley are just picking up the scraps.
By taking home two medals in Rio, Laugher has done more for his sport than Daley ever will if he doesn't start turning those bronze medals into something more substantial. That's not to criticise what he has achieved—any podium finish at the Olympic Games should be cheered—but Daley doesn't deserve the attention he gets. It's Laugher and his fellow gold medallist, Mears.
Any young fans who have been inspired to take up diving after Rio will be chasing what the pair have. It's their success that will drive a generation and instill belief that Britain can achieve things.
Brands and PR offer nothing substantial. Behind the glitz and the carefully constructed messages, it's all just fluff. There isn't much else to back it up, which is why industries can eat themselves. With nothing to fall back on, there's only so far a brand can push itself before it gets found out.
Daley still has to compete in the men's 10-meter individual event on Friday, so he can go some way to equalling what Laugher has so far achieved. That would be a big boost to him and the sport, but it's all about what ifs in this instance. Laugher is doing it and has done it, so where's his publicity?
It was once that we mentioned diving and Daley's name was the only thing that seemed marketable. On the back of the Rio Games and Laugher's achievements, that has to change.
Chinese diver He Zi got all kinds of jewelry on Sunday.
After earning a silver medal in the women's three-meter springboard, He was surprised by her boyfriend, fellow diver Qin Kai, who previously won bronze in men's synchronized diving.
Qin got down on one knee in front of the cheering crowd and proposed.
She accepted, and the two tearfully embraced. You can see the full video here.
What a moment.
[NBC, h/t the Big Lead]
The water in a Rio de Janeiro Olympics diving pool turned green Tuesday.
While visually questionable, venue officials at Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre said it presented "no risk" to divers, per Nick Hope of the BBC.
The difference in color was noticeable. Take a look at this side-by-side comparison from Matt Majendie of the London Evening Standard:
It's likely a simple case of not enough chlorine, but it's still somewhat concerning.
[Twitter]
Former gold-medal winning Olympic diver Greg Louganis married his partner, paralegal Johnny Chaillot, in a ceremony in California over the weekend.
Louganis and Chaillott gave exclusive rights to their nuptials to People's Patrick Gomez, who covered the ceremony in Malibu on Saturday. The wedding was attended by 160 of the couple's family and friends, including Olympians Janet Evans and Nadia Comaneci. Celebrities like Barbara Eden, French Stewart and Bruce Vilanch were also in attendance, as was Dominic Scott Kay of The Voice, who sang at the ceremony.
Louganis was proud that so many different types of people could be in one place at the same time.
"It was amazing because I have so many people from all facets of my life here tonight and they are all here and celebrating," Louganis said. "I already feel different. The ceremony was so reflective and representative of who we are."
Louganis and Chaillot met early last year on the dating website Match.com. They were engaged on April 8 and made a public announcement two months later. California is one of 14 states that allows same-sex marriage in the United States.
"It has been an incredible journey," Louganis said. "I feel like we've been through a lifetime in a very short time."
Louganis is widely considered the best Olympic diver in United States history. He won consecutive gold medals in the 3m springboard and 10m platform events at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. He's the only man in history to win consecutive golds in both events.
The 53-year-old left competitive diving in 1988—the same year he was diagnosed with HIV. He would later come out as gay during an appearance on Oprah seven years later. Since his diagnosis, Louganis has become a staunch HIV awareness advocate and worked with multiple gay-friendly charities and organizations.
Rather than gifts, Louganis and Chaillot asked their wedding guests to make donations to the Human Rights Campaign, which tries to ensure equal rights for the LGBT community, and Mending Kids International, which provides surgical healthcare to needy children.
"We are both in our mid fifties and don't need another blender so we really wanted to give back," Chaillot, 52, said.
Louganis currently serves as a mentor for the United States' swimming and diving program. He's also made a number of appearances in media platforms, including a recent run as a judge on the ABC summer hit Splash. Next year, a documentary on Louganis' life entitled Back on Board will be released.
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