CHINA’S Shi Tingmao claimed her second gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics with victory in the women’s 3m springboard diving yesterday, becoming the second woman to retain both individual and synchronized titles at the Games.

Shi’s victory enabled her to match compatriot Guo Jingjing’s back-to-back double 3m springboard golds at the Athens and Beijing Olympics and was China’s ninth consecutive gold in the individual event.

The 29-year-old, champion in both events at Rio and again in the synchronized event earlier in Tokyo, dominated the diving pool after taking control of the competition from the start and never giving up her position at the top of the leaderboard.

She finished with 383.50 points at the spectator-free Tokyo Aquatics Center, more than 34 points ahead of her synchronized diving partner Wang Han in second.

Krysta Palmer took bronze with 343.75 to become the first American to claim an Olympic medal in the event since the nation came third at the Seoul Games in 1988.

The gold must mean so much to Shi, as she cried after the final dive.

“I was nearly going to give up because of the postponement of the Games. I even feared to go to the training ground. Now, I am grateful for my faith, and stick to it,” said Shi.

Shi became the oldest Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 3m springboard event at 29 years and 335 days.

Shi said: “Age is not a problem. It depends on how eager you are for the gold. I want the gold, and I made it. I am going to get some good sleep.”

“It feels good to finish all my events today,” said Wang Han. “Paris 2024? If China needs me. We will see.”

“They’re so consistent,” bronze medalist Krysta Palmer of the United States said. “They have a lot of pressure, but I think they handle it pretty well.”

“My age has never been the biggest problem,” Shi said. “My original goal of wanting the gold medal has never changed.”

(SD-Xinhua)