14-Year-Old Quan Hongchan Flawlessly Wins Olympic Gold In Women’s 10m Platform

TOKYO 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS – DIVING

• July 25-August 7, 2021
• Olympic Aquatics Center, Tokyo, Japan
• Official Results
• Preliminary Recap
• Detailed Results – Final

Chinese diving sensation Quan Hongchan delivered a stunning performance in the women’s 10m platform diving final at the Tokyo Olympic Games, winning gold and shattering the Olympic Record at just 14 years of age.

Quan, who ranked second behind teammate Chen Yuxi in the preliminary round but had inched ahead in the semis, was dominant from the second round on, including executing two perfect dives, receiving a 10.0 from all seven judges. Quan finished with combined score of 466.20 points, more than 40 clear of Chen, to break the previous Olympic Record of 447.70.

A PERFECT DIVE‼️

14-year-old Quan Hongchan from China receives 10s across the board on her dive in the women’s 10m platform final. #TokyoOlympics

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Having only turned 14 in March, Quan is the youngest athlete representing China at the Games. Her victory continues China’s dominance in women’s diving at the Olympics, having won every female event since the Beijing Games in 2008.

Had the Tokyo Olympics not been postponed by one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Quan wouldn’t have been eligible to compete, as diving mandates that athletes be at least 14 in order to be entered at the Games

Chen, the 2019 world champion on 10m platform, picks up the silver for her second Olympic medal at the age of 15. She won gold earlier in Tokyo on the 10m synchro with partner Zhang Jiaqi.

Chen was tied with Quan after the first dive, but fell to second after that and was never seriously challenged for the silver. She finished with a score of 425.40, bettering her score from both the prelims (390.70) and semis (407.75).

WOMEN’S 10M PLATFORM RESULTS – FINAL

Claiming the bronze was Australia’s Melissa Wu, who wins her first individual Olympic medal in her fourth appearance at the Games at the age of 29.

Wu won a silver in Beijing in the 10m synchronized platform event, but in this event, her previous Olympic finishes have been sixth (2008), fourth (2012) and fifth (2016).

Mexico’s Gabriela Agundez picks up fourth with a score of 358.50, having won the bronze in the synchro event earlier, and Delaney Schnell was the top American in fifth at 340.40.

Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito, a three-time Olympic medalist including bronze in the 10m platform in Rio, had a bad miss in her first dive of the semis and ultimately finished just a few points outside of the final, placing 13th (top 12 qualify for the final).

The Olympic diving competition is nearing its end, with the men’s 10m platform the only event left on the schedule. The prelims of that event will go off Friday afternoon in Tokyo (3:00 pm local time), with the semis (10:00 am) and final (3:00 pm) on Saturday.