From Sun Shuwei’s historic win in Barcelona at 16, to Quan Hongchan’s three perfect scoring dives in Tokyo, here are some important record broken by the divers in Olympics.
Barcelona, 1992
Sun Shuwei of China in action during the springboard diving competition of the Olympic Games in Barcelona on August 04, 1992. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
With the brilliance of Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia cathedral as a backdrop, 16-year-old Sun Shuwei of China starred, becoming the youngest diver to win a men’s Olympic title. With Greg Louganis retired, Sun, the pre-Games favorite, took the lead on the fourth dive of the final and never relinquished it. American Mark Lenzi succeeded Louganis as springboard champion.
Montreal, 1976
Jennifer Chandler, a 17-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, had burst onto the scene a year earlier, winning the 1975 Pan American Games. Against tougher competition in Montreal, she did not wilt, surprising a field that included two former world champions to become America’s 10th different winner of women’s springboard gold.
Rome, 1960
This is Ingrid Kraemer of Germany pictured winning the ladies’ high diving event of the 1960 Olympic Games. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
In Rome, Ingrid Kraemer, an East German teenager, became the first non-American woman to win an Olympic springboard title. After breaking a streak of eight straight U.S. victories in that event, Kraemer made it four consecutive Games at which a woman completed the platform/springboard golden double.
Atlanta, 1996
China’s Fu Mingxia performing her diving routine in the 10-metre women’s platform competition in Barcelona on July 27, 1992. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
13-year-old Fu Mingxia of China became the fourth-youngest Olympian ever to win a gold medal. Needing a new challenge for Atlanta, the teenager dedicated herself to winning both the springboard and platform. An inch taller and almost 20 pounds heavier than she was in Spain, Fu won both events to become the first woman since Germany’s Ingrid Kraemer in 1960 to complete the sweep.
Sydney, 2000
Laura-Ann Wilkinson of the United States in action. | Photo Credit: AP
Laura Wilkinson came from nowhere to win the women’s platform. In the process, she broke China’s four Olympics stranglehold in the event and won America’s only diving medal of the 2000 Games. Prior to Sydney, Wilkinson,22, had never finished better than fifth at a major international event.
Tokyo, 2020
China’s Hongchan Quan in action during the women’s 10m platform final. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Seven of the eight diving gold medals in Tokyo were claimed by China, a feat that nation also accomplished at Rio 2016 and Beijing 2008. The most impressive performance came via 14-year-old Quan Hongchan, the youngest Chinese athlete at the Games. Quan executed three dives in the final round that earned perfect scores and won the women’s 10m platform competition by 40 points over countrywoman Chen Yuxi.
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