World champions Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao won the women’s 10m synchronized platform to give dominant China their third diving gold medal at the London Olympics on Tuesday.
Chen, the individual 10m platform champion from the Beijing Games and the synchronized 10m platform champion, teamed with Wang to tally 368.40 points from their five dives off the tower.
Mexico’s Paola Espinosa Sanchez and Alejandra Orozco Loza took the silver with 343.32 points, with Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion getting the bronze medal with 337.62.
Photo: EPA
China continued their march toward winning an unprecedented eight Olympic gold medals in London following Wu Minxia and He Zi’s win in the women’s synchronized 3m springboard, and Cao Yuan and Zhang Yanquan taking the men’s 10m synchronized platform gold.
“We both performed very well in terms of our technique and we have been together for two years. We have been practicing very hard in Jinan,” Ruo said.
Chen and Wang trailed in third place behind Britain and Canada after the first round of five dives, but gradually asserted their dominance with a series of masterful dives.
Wang said her struggle over the past year to control her weight after knee and eye injuries had now proved all worthwhile.
“I was injured before the Olympics, but I am getting better because I have been losing weight,” Wang said. “In the beginning, it was difficult for me to recover and get back to my best condition, and after 2009 my focus was to control my weight and I had to do it strictly.”
Chen and Wang got 81.00 for their forward 3.5 somersault on their third dive, followed by 89.28 for an inward 3.5 somersault, and they sealed the gold medal with a closing 88.32 for a back 2.5 somersault with 1.5 twists.
Mexico vaulted from seventh to second with a precision inward 3.5 somersault dive in the third round that netted them 84.48 points, and they closed out with a 75.24 for a back 3.5 somersault and 81.60 for a back 2.5 somersault with 1.5 twists.
Espinosa Sanchez, a bronze medalist in the event in Beijing, celebrated her 26th birthday in fine style with the silver medal.
“I really think that this was the best gift that Alejandra could have given me. This was the best birthday present ever,” she said.
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