China’s Six-Year Diving Streak Snapped After 37 World Titles in a Row

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS – DIVING

• July 14-22, 2023
• Fukuoka Prefectural Pool, Fukuoka, Japan
• Competition results
• Diving recap through day 3

China’s winning streak in diving events was snapped at 37 world titles in a row on Saturday.

Australia’s Cassiel Rousseau captured gold with 520.85 points in the men’s platform final — the last diving event in Fukuoka — to top the podium ahead of China’s Lian Junjie (512.35) and Yang Hao (504.00). China triumphed in all 12 other diving events in Fukuoka with a double-digit margin of victory in each.

The last person to beat a Chinese diver for the world crown was Britain’s Tom Daley on the men’s platform at the 2017 World Championships. Making Rousseau’s win all the more impressive is the fact that he’s a 22-year-old former acrobatic gymnast who has only been diving seriously for about five years. His grandfather, Michel, was a former Olympic champion cyclist back in 1956.

Meanwhile, Mexico kept its momentum going with silver medals in the men’s 3m springboard and mixed 3m & 10m team events. Osmar Olvera Ibarra took silver in the men’s 3m springboard behind Tokyo Olympic champion Wang Zongyuan after also earning the same medal in the 1m springboard. Mexico didn’t bring home any diving medals last year and had its funding cut this year amid an ongoing dispute between its national federation and World Aquatics, but they finished with more medals (six) than any country besides China this year.

Diving Medal Table, 2023 World Championships

In the women’s 3m springboard, 24-year-old Chen Yiwen retained her world title with 3:59.50 points, finishing 1-2 along with her women’s 3m synchronized champion partner, Chang Yani (341.50). Canada’s Pamela Ware rounded out the podium with a score of 332.00 at 30 years old.

Check out more results below:

Mixed 3m Synchro

1. Zhu Zifeng and Lin Shan (CHN) – 326.10
2. Maddison Keeney and Domonic Bedggood (AUS) – 3:07.38
3. Chiara Pellacani and Matteo Santoro (ITA) – 294.12

Men’s 3m Springboard

1. Wang Zongyuan (CHN) – 538.10
2. Osmar Olvera Ibarra (MEX) – 5:07.50
3. Long Daoyi (CHN) – 499.75

Women’s 10m Platform

1. Chen Yuxi (CHN) – 457.85
2. Quan Hongchan (CHN) – 445.60
3. Caeli McKay (CAN) – 340.25

Mixed 3m & 10m Team

1. Bai Yuming, Zhang Minjie, Zheng Jiuyuan, and Si Yajie (CHN) – 489.65
2. Gabriela Agundez Garcia, Jahir Ocampo Marroquin, Randal Willars Valdez, and Aranza Vazquez Montano (MEX) – 455.35
3. Christina Wassen, Moritz Wesemann, Lena Hentschel, and Timo Barthel (GER) – 432.15