Why does China dominate diving, while Osmar Olvera was the world's great exception?

Chinese divers were surprised to learn they would no longer be the only greats in the sport of diving. This came after Mexican Osmar Olvera won the gold medal in the discipline in Singapore.

READ: Sheinbaum congratulates Osmar Olvera on winning gold in Singapore

With a score of 529.55, the Mexican once again felt the piercing gaze of the Chinese as he stepped onto the podium. Yuan Cao and Zongyuan Wang had to settle for silver and bronze respectively after a score of 522.70 and 515.55.

Who is Osmar Olvera?

Osmar, the athlete of just 21 years old and originally from Mexico City, He became the second Mexican diver to win world gold in history; Before him was Paola Espinosa in Rome 2009.

Osmar had a bronze in the 1m springboard event (Doha 2024), but that event is not part of the Olympic program. There are only three world gold medals in the history of Mexican diving, and two of them belong to him.

China's history and dominance in diving

China is the country with the most gold medals in diving. By the 2024 Paris Olympics, China has won a total of 55 gold medals in this discipline. At Paris 2024, China won all eight diving events, completing a historic "full record" of gold medals.

That performance brought her total to 55 golds, surpassing the previous record held by the United States of 49 (according to the International Olympic Committee, which ruled out a single historical act of “plunging” erroneously included in some statistics).

ALSO: Osmar Olvera wins gold medal at the World Diving Championships in Singapore

This victory represents a great achievement for the Mexican, as it clearly shows that at his young age, he's at the level of the best. But if this championship made one thing clear, it's that the throne of the diving board no longer has a sole owner.

EM