Platform, Women

As at almost every international event since the mid-1980s, the Chinese women were favored. Chen Ruolin had won the 2008 World Cup and Wang Xin was the 2007 World Champion. They had been 1-2 in both of those events, and had already won gold in Beijing in the synchro platform. Other contenders for medals were the 2000 Olympic champion, Laura Wilkinson of the USA, also the 2005 World Champion; and Canada’s Émilie Heymans, who had been World Champion in 2003.

In the end the event turned into a gold medal romp for Chen, who led qualifying, semis, and throughout the final round. Silver went to Heymans, who was born to Belgian parents, and whose mother, Marie-Paule Van Eyck had fenced for Belgium at the 1976 Olympic Games. Wang won the bronze medal. Her given birth name was Wang Ruoxue, but she changed it after her coach told her it sounded too weak and delicate.