Synchronized Springboard, Women

China’s Shi Tingmao won two golds on her Olympic début at Rio and was back for more in Tokyo. Since the last Games, she had been the world’s leading springboard diver, winning both 3m springboard events at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, as well as winning both at the 2018 World Cup.

With China’s excellent record in synchronized diving, Tingmao and Wang Han were favourites to win the synchronised springboard gold medal, having occupied first and second place in the individual event at the Tokyo Olympics. Runners-up to them at the 2019 World Championships were the Canadian pair Jennifer Abel and Mélissa Citrini-Beaulieu, and they again finished second to the Chinese duo in Tokyo, despite lying sixth after two dives. The American pair of Alison Gibson and Krysta Palmer were joint second after their opening dive, and shared the lead after the second, but then fell away rapidly and ended up finishing last of eight. The Italian pair Elena Bertocchi and Chiara Pellacani looked set to take the bronze until being overtaken by the Germany’s Lena Hentschel and Tina Punzel in the fifth and final round.

Tingmao went on to win her third gold, adding to the two she won in Rio, but for Wang it was her first medal on her Olympic début at the age of 30. Canada’s Abel went one better than her bronze medal at London 2012 and made up for her disappointment at finishing fourth at Rio 2016. China won their fifth consecutive title and only at Sydney in 2000, when they won the silver medal, had they failed to win gold in the synchronised springboard event.