2012 London Summer Olympics

[ Check Out Stunning Pictures from the Opening Ceremony ]

China's Wu Mingxia keeps coming to the Olympic Games with monotonous regularity and nonchalantly walking away with the diving gold every time. Wu, a legend at 26, gave the communist nation more cheers when she won her third consecutive 3m springboard synchro title along with He Zi at the Aquatics Center.

The duo brooked little challenge, winning the title with a score of 346.20 points, 24.30 point ahead of the American pair of Abigail Johnston and Kelci Bryant. Now Wu would be aiming for an individual 3m springboard gold, which would bring her on par with former partner and diving great, Guo Jingjing, the sport's most illustrious Olympian.

A beaming Wu told the media with the help of an interpreter that she felt completely at ease at the Aquatics Center because of the huge number of Chinese supporters who had come to watch her performance. About her pairing with new partner He, she Wu was quoted as saying, "I don't see much difference in diving with my two partners."

The talking point at the venue was Wu and He's inward 2-1/2 somersault, which was a poetry in motion. As they plunged into the water, there was hardly a splash or a sound. The US pair of Johnston and Bryant was a distant second with 321.9 points, though Bryant was really delighted with the silver after missing out on a medal at Beijing four years back.

The Canadian duo of Emile Heymans and Jennifer Abel, who had clinched silver at the FINA World Cup early this year, took the bronze with 316.8 points after making heavy weather of a simple forward pike in their second dive.

China are in line to win all eight gold medals in diving at London, after missing just one at the Beijing Games.In the men's 10m platform diving, Chinese debutants Cao Yuan and Zhang Yanquan were making another stylish statement on way to beating home favorites, Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield, who botch up the fourth dive on Monday.

The Chinese duo amassed 486.78 points from their quota of six dives, while Mexio's, Ivan Navarro and German Sanchez were second and the United States', David Boudia and Nicholas McCrory third.

Cao and Zhang, who are both in their teens, swelled China's tally to two in diving.

 

 

Diving Queen Wu Mingxia Nets Hat-Trick