Paris 2024 Diving: All results, Cao Yuan defends men's 10m platform gold to complete clean sweep for People's Republic of China
Defending champion Cao Yuan won gold in the men's 10m platform at Paris 2024, to complete an unprecedented clean sweep of eight Olympic gold medals across the diving competition at an Olympic Games for the People's Republic of China.
Tamai Rikuto challenged throughout, coming away with silver; Japan's first medal in this discipline with a score of 507.65 to Cao's 547.50.
Team GB's Noah Williams secured bronze, with 497.35, for a second medal of the Games in France, having claimed silver with Tom Daley in the equivalent synchro competition.
Cao, now a four-time Olympic gold medallist, completed his six series of dives with his highest score in the third round of 97.20 for a sensational back 3.5 somersault dive.
“I just focused on my dives, not the scores," said Cao. "I got a medal at the last Olympics, so I know how to deal with the pressure.
“I didn’t think too much about the eight medals. I focused on myself. I’m happy to help China gain the final gold. It’s historical, congratulations to China.”
Tamai scored even higher than that with a massive 99 points for his final dive, a back 2½ somersaults with 2½ twists piked but faltering on his previous dive, a reverse 3½ somersaults tucked, scored just 39.10.
“I believed in myself and put all my soul into this performance," said Tamai. "When I went under the water, I felt pressure, but when I came up again, I would hear the sound from the crowd, and I knew I’d done well. Everybody said, ‘you did it’. I was amazed by myself.
“I wanted gold. There was tension up until the fourth dive, but it disappeared when I became a chaser, trying to catch up. I loved the feeling after that – trying to beat China.”
Williams also had just one waver, in the third round, where a back 3½ somersault pike left the Brit with a lot to do to secure a spot on the podium after a score of 63.00 gave Randal Willars Valdez a bit of breathing space.
However, Williams kept up the pressure with two scores over 90 points on his final dives, while the Mexican faltered on his last effort to drop him into a final position of fifth.
“I actually think it played to my advantage going first, because I could only focus on myself. Even though I was obviously following someone, there’s like a whole minute break between each round. So it was just kind of like training, almost like go up there by myself.
“Obviously, I knew I messed up (fourth dive). And I was like, ‘oh, that’s it, it’s over’. I wasn’t doing the fifth and sixth dive in my head thinking, ‘let’s chase that medal again’. I was like, 'OK, I’ve got my best two dives last, which is why they’re there. I’ll just try and do them well'.”
Cao's compatriot and world champion Yang Hao had an off day finishing in 12th position (390.20), with the world bronze medallist, Oleksii Sereda of Ukraine, following suit, ending up in eighth place (426.90).
Australia's 2023 world champion Cassiel Rousseau just missed the podium in fourth (481.00).
The session concluded Olympic diving at Paris 2024, with China making history, and Team GB finishing in second place on the diving table after concluding with one silver, and four bronze medals.
Cao becomes the first diver since Greg Louganis (USA) at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games to successfully defend a gold medal on the men's 10m platform. He is also first diver to win Olympic gold in three different diving events, missing only 3m synchronised after he took bronze in that event at Rio 2016.
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Diving: Men's 10m platform podium
Gold: Cao Yuan, People's Republic of China, 547.50
Silver: Tamai Rikuto, Japan, 507.65
Bronze: Noah Williams, Great Britain, 497.35
All results on Olympics.com