Chen Ruolin and Wang Xin compete in Synchronized Women's 10m Platform
Chen Ruolin and Wang Xin won gold in Synchronized Women's 10m Platform with 363.54 points at National Aquatics Center to give China its third Diving gold in three days. Briony Cole and Melissa Wu of Australia finished second, while Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz won Mexico's first medal of the Beijing Olympic Games by placing third.
The Chinese teenagers were the highest ranked pair in each of the five dives, building a nearly insurmountable 25.32 point lead after the fourth dive. Their superb 90.78 point final dive widened their winning margin to 28.38 over second place Australia. The reigning world champions were competing in the Olympics for the first time.
Cole and Wu of Australia started the competition in a tie for third but pulled into second place after the third dive. A bad entry on the fourth dive gave Mexico an opening to steal silver, but the Australian pair recovered on their final dive with a 87.72-point score that clinched their second-place finish. Cole and Wu also finished second behind their Chinese opponents at the 2007 World Championships.
Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz have the honor of winning Mexico's first medal of the 2008 Olympics and the 10th diving medal in the nation's Olympic history. Espinosa finished fifth in Athens in Synchronized 3m Springboard and Synchronized 10m Platform. She also competed in Sydney, finishing 12th in the two Individual Women's events.
Chen and Wang will also take part in the Individual Women's 10m Platform competition, in which they are ranked World No. 1 and 2. The event is scheduled to start on August 19 and end on August 21.
Synchronized Women's 10m Platform, final standings:
1. China -- Wang Xin and Chen Ruolin, 363.54 points
2. Australia -- Briony Cole and Melissa Wu, 335.16
3. Mexico -- Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz, 330.06
4. Germany -- Annett Gamm and Nora Subschinski, 310.29
5. The United States -- Marybeth Dunnichay and Ishimatsu Haley, 309.12
6. Democratic People's Republic of Korea -- Kum Hui Choe and Un Hyang Kim, 308.10
7. Canada -- Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion, 305.91
8. Great Britain -- Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell, 303.48
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