Olvera's dream comes true to end China's streak in 3m springboard

Waking up in the morning of Aug 1, Mexican diver Osmar Olvera Ibarra had only one thing in mind.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Having claimed three silver medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the 21-year-old was determined to win the gold in his last event and end China's near two-decade stranglehold on the men's 3m springboard.

At the OCBC Aquatic Centre later in the evening, he accomplished what he had set out to do as he somersaulted, twisted and piked his way to history.

Garnering 529.55 points from six dives, he became the first Mexican winner of the event, preventing China, represented by Cao Yuan and Wang Zongyuan, from making it 11 consecutive wins.

Cao, who was just 6.85 points behind Olvera, had also finished second in 2019 and 2022 while Wang, who had won in three consecutive editions before this meet, slipped to third with 515.55 points.

"Yeah, I believed it," said Olvera when The Straits Times asked him shortly after the medal ceremony if he had believed that he would be the one to end China's streak, which stretched back to the 2007 edition.