By Shaikhah Al Tamimi (OCA Young Reporter from Kuwait)
Hangzhou, China, October 3, 2023: The women’s 10m platform event of the 19th Asian Games came to a glorious conclusion with another gold in China’s tally by young Olympic champion Quan Hongchan on Tuesday evening.
The 16-year-old Quan beat her Chinese compatriot, and recently crowned world champion, Chen Yuxi, on the very last dive of a high-quality final with a remarkable score of 438.20 points.
Chen, a three-time world champion and still only 18, secured the silver with a score of 435.65 points.
Leading after the first three rounds, Quan found herself in second place after the fourth round, just 5.45 points behind Chen – with one dive remaining.
The young prodigy executed her final dive - Back 2 1/2 Somersaults 1 1/2 Twists – to near perfection to overtake Chen and take gold by a mere 2.55 points.
Quan and Chen had earlier teamed up to claim their first Asian Games title with flying colors in the 10m synchronized event last week, proving that they are once again in the league of champions birthed by Mainland China.
Malaysia’s veteran diver Pandelela Rinong added another medal to her impressive collection by taking the bronze with 280.50 points – the best of the rest behind China’s two super divers. It was a result that moved her to tears behind the scenes as the Chinese divers decided gold and silver.
Quan spoke about the score at the end of the fourth round, when she had slipped into second place behind Chen.
"I didn't notice that I was behind, but I was happy when I saw the score after the fifth round. Chen Yuxi and I did not communicate during the competition, but we will communicate after the game,” she said.
On the fourth and fifth dives, Quan added: "I didn't think much, because I just thought about my movements and essentials. I was a little nervous at that time, so I made a lot of changes on the last dive."
On the differences between the synchronised 10m platform final and today's individual final, the new Asian Games champion added: "I feel like there's someone missing next to me. I went diving by myself today, so I'm still a little nervous."
