China Wins Diving Medal, U.S. Finishes Fifth
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ China won its second diving medal of the Olympics, routing the field in women's 10-meter synchronized platform. Americans Laura Wilkinson and Jenny Keim finished fifth.
The U.S. duo was second after the third of five dives, but fell out of a medal spot Thursday (Wednesday night EDT) with an inward, 2½ somersault that drew scores no higher than 6.5 for execution.
Wilkinson, gold medalist in the individual platform, and Keim were still in a tight, three-way battle for bronze with Australia and Austria heading to the final dive.
But the Americans failed to pull off a back 1½ somersault with 2½ twists, getting out of sync as soon as they left the tower. The marks, ranging 7.0 to 8.0, weren't enough to pull them up.
Diving as one, Li Na and Sang Xue led throughout the competition and wound up with 345.12 points. Their first dive drew nothing but 9s and 9.5s _ and they buried the eight-team field with four 10s on their second effort, creating hardly a splash as their lithe bodies knifed through the water.
Na won her second medal of the games, having captured silver in the individual platform.
Canada's Anne Montminy, bronze medalist on the tower, and Emilie Heymans took silver with 312.03. Rebecca Gilmore and Loudy Tourky fired up the home crowd by claiming bronze for Australia at 301.50.
Australia captured only its second diving medal in Olympic history. In 1924, Richmond Eve won gold in men's plain high diving, which was dropped from the program after that year.
Austria, seeking its second diving medal as well, settled for fourth at 294.00. The Americans were next at 291.42.
The powerful Chinese, relegated to silvers in the first three diving events of these games, have now won two golds in a row. They also ranked 1-2 heading into the evening final of women's 3-meter springboard.
In all, three golds were set to be handed out Thursday, the busiest medal day of the competition.
David Pichler and Troy Dumais were diving for the Americans in men's synchronized 3-meter. The stiffest competition was expected from the Chinese, Russian and Mexican teams.
The Americans picked up two 10s for synchronization on their second dive, a forward 1½ somersault. But they were doomed by the poor finish.
Keim, pulling a double-shift Thursday, likely squandered her best chance for a medal. She was eighth heading into the evening final of women's 3-meter, followed by teammate Michelle Davison.
Keim, a two-time Olympian from Miami, didn't mind her busy schedule. She frequently works from both heights in practice.
"I knew this was the way it was going to be," she said. "I've been gearing up for it."
China's Fu Mingxia was in position for her record-tying fourth diving gold medal. She held the top seed in the 3-meter after the semifinals.
But, since scores from the preliminaries don't carry over to the final, teammate Guo Jingjing actually took a lead into the last five dives, 251.22 to 242.82.
"We are teammates," Fu said. "It does not matter who wins, as long as it is not one of our competitors."
Americans Greg Louganis and Pat McCormick are the only divers to win four golds, and there doesn't appear to be anyone from their country who can stop the Chinese juggernaut.
"We've always looked at the Chinese and kind of said, `Wow,"' Davison said. "They had the image of being unbeatable, but I don't want to get that in my head."
The Chinese were on a roll at the Sydney International Aquatic Center. The women's synchronized victory came after Xiong Ni rallied for gold on the final dive of men's 3-meter Tuesday.
"It was a decisive win," Fu said. "After that medal, we feel confident. Emotionally, we feel much better."
Keim will take 225.90 points into the final, while Davison, of Columbia, S.C., totaled 219.48 in the semifinals.
Fu is trying to become a back-to-back winner of the individual springboard and extend China's Olympic winning streak in the event to four in a row.
"She's a great diver, a great competitor," said Davison, a first-time Olympian. "She has a goal, but we have a goal, too."
The American women haven't won a springboard medal since Kelly McCormick _ Pat's daughter _ earned bronze in 1988. Jennifer Chandler captured the last U.S. gold in 1976.
(Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
