Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

North Korea wins first diving medal ever, as China continues dominance with another gold

North Korea's Jo Jin Mi and Kim Mi Rae pose with their silver medal in women's synchronized 10m platform diving final in Saint-Denis, France on July 31, 2024. (Jin Lee Man / AP Photo) North Korea's Jo Jin Mi and Kim Mi Rae pose with their silver medal in women's synchronized 10m platform diving final in Saint-Denis, France on July 31, 2024. (Jin Lee Man / AP Photo)
Share
SAINT-DENIS, FRANCE -

North Korea won the silver in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform event to capture the nation's first ever Olympic diving medal, while China continued its dominance of the sport with another gold.

Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan took a commanding lead from the start Wednesday to secure China’s 50th Olympic diving gold medal all time.

The women led by nearly 14 points after two of their five dives, making it a competition for silver and bronze behind them. Chen won the same event in Tokyo, partnering with Zhang Jiaqi.

Chen and Quan scored a 359.10. The North Korean pair finished far behind at 315.90. It marked North Korea’s second medal of the Paris Games after winning a silver Tuesday in mixed doubles table tennis.

Jin Mi Jo and Mi Rae Kim hope to one day make a run at mighty China.

“We really wanted to give gold to our country but the performance was not done as we expected, as we tried, so we regret that,†Kim said through an interpreter. “The next time we do it we will try hard for the gold.â€

North Korea skipped the Tokyo Games, citing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson of Great Britain took bronze with a score of 304.38.

"It was a tough competition, we knew before it that China was the team to beat and that Great Britain and the Canadians were going to be hard to defeat, but watching videos our coach told us to be aware of North Korea, and they did very well,†said four-time Olympian Alejandra Orozco of Mexico, who finished fifth.

China added to its medal haul in the sport it has dominated for decades. The Chinese took another step closer to an unprecedented sweep in the Olympic diving pool.

Ukrainian divers say they competed for those suffering through war

Kseniia Bailo and Sofiia Lyskun finished second-to-last and 74 points behind the winning Chinese pair — but the result really didn't matter to the Ukrainian women.

Bailo, 19, told The Associated Press she dedicated Wednesday's performance to everyone fighting to protect her war-torn homeland.

“I’m happy to be in the Olympics because I compete today for my country, for soldiers and for athletes and coaches who died in war. I'm really proud of me," she said, sharing that it's a challenge to focus on her sport. “It's really difficult, it's really hard because emotionally, I'm in the Ukraine. I can't just live in Paris right now and don't think about war, because my family is there, my friends are there. I need to compete for them.â€

Bailo and Lyskun, 22, received warm cheers all morning. They scored a 285.00, ahead of the eighth-place French pair and 2.52 points behind Americans Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell in sixth.

A first-time Olympian from the Southern port city of Mykolaiv, Bailo hopes this is the start of a long career on the world stage.

“It's a really good experience for me because it's my first Olympics, so I'm really happy to be in the Olympic family,†she said. “It's a really good job for me, because my country has a really bad problem. I feel like I can tell all the world about my country, about the situation, about athletes."

Mexican flag bearer Orozco plans to retire after Olympics

Mexico’s Gabriela Agundez and Orozco had aimed for another medal after earning bronze at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

It was their final competition together as Orozco plans to retire. The women still have the individual platform event.

"We grew up together, we made a great team because we dreamt together and we built a legacy and history together,†said the 27-year-old Orozco from Guadalajara who was one of Mexico's flag bearers. “We know that no matter what, we are one. We finished this today, and it was an honour to compete together on that platform.â€

She earned silver in the synchronized platform at the 2012 London Games.

Orozco began pairing with the 23-year-old Garcia of La Paz after diving the first of her two Olympics alongside Paola Espinosa.

The Mexican women had plenty of support.

Brothers César and Azael Jáuregui, both university students in Northern Mexico, couldn't wait to get to the pool. Azael made the 10-minute walk from the train station with a Mexican flag draped over his shoulders.

“It's very special for me as a Mexican because we have like five Olympics in a row that the people are in the finals, they are getting medals, so for me and my brother coming to the diving for the first time it's a really good experience,†César said. “We are hoping to see medals and not only medals we hope to see our divers enjoy it and be happy with their results.â€

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Debate gets testy as MPs consider confidence motion in PM Trudeau

MPs debated the first non-confidence motion of the fall House of Commons sitting today, seeing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre push once again for a snap election. But with votes secured to keep them afloat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals were quick to turn the discussion into a referendum on the Conservative alternative.

A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

After Ontario Premier Doug Ford made controversial comments about solutions to get people out of homeless encampments, advocates and members of the opposition spoke up on Tuesday.

Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.

We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

Local Spotlight

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

Stay Connected