China claims top two spots in men’s platform semis, remains poised for historic Olympic diving sweep

China continues to show dominance in Olympic diving, securing the top two spots in the men’s 10-meter platform semifinals held in Saint-Denis. Cao Yuan led the pack with a score of 504.00 points, followed closely by Yang Hao at 490.55. The duo’s strong performance advanced them to the final round, alongside Japan’s Rikuto Tamai, who secured the third spot in the semifinals.

The lone American diver, Brandon Loschiavo, finished near the bottom among 18 competitors and failed to progress to the final round of the diving event at the Olympic Aquatics Centre. Cao Yuan, a 29-year-old diver, aimed to defend his platform title from the Tokyo Games and secure his fourth gold medal, having previously won in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and London in 2012.

Yang Hao had already clinched a gold medal in the platform synchro event earlier in the Paris Games, partnering with Lian Junjie. China is on track to potentially achieve a historic Olympic diving sweep, with the nation having won the first seven diving gold medals in this year’s expanded diving program.

The United States, once dominant in diving, has seen China rise to prominence since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. China has since won an impressive 45 out of 55 gold medals in diving since 2000. At the Paris Games, China has been on a winning streak, with multiple gold medals across various diving events.

The U.S. faced a tough outing at the Paris Games, with their only medal coming from the silver earned by Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook in women’s 3-meter synchronized diving. This marked the U.S.’s weakest Olympic performance since the 2008 Beijing Games. In contrast, China’s diving team has been showcasing exceptional performances, poised to potentially match their impressive medal count from the Tokyo Games.