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Cao Yuan, Rio springboard champion, joins exclusive diving club with Tokyo platform gold

China's Cao Yuan celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 10m platform diving event at the Tokyo Olympics. (Getty Images)

China's Cao Yuan joined a pantheon of diving legends Saturday at the Tokyo Olympics with a gold medal in the men's 10m platform diving competition.

Cao, the 2016 Olympic champion in the men's 3m springboard, became the first man to win gold on both the platform and springboard since American diving icon Greg Louganis did so days apart at the Seoul 1988 Olympics. Louganis also accomplished the feat in 1984.

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In the Tokyo platform final, Cao held a lead of 12.10 points over Chinese countryman Yang Jian headed into the sixth and final round. Yang, diving first, delivered the highest-scoring dive of the competition at 112.75 to put Cao under pressure.

The 26-year-old nailed a backward 2 1/2 somersaults twisting dive for 102.60 points and the gold medal by a margin of 1.95 points. Yang took silver to complete a four-for-four gold/silver sweep by Chinese divers in men's and women's individual events in Tokyo.

Cao's gold was China's seventh out of eight events, matching their total from the Rio Games. Only Cao and partner Chen Aisen in the men's synchronized platform event failed to win gold, losing out to Great Britain's Tom Daley and Matty Lee.

Daley took bronze in Saturday's final, earning his fourth Olympic medal in his fourth Olympics.

Americans Jordan Windle and Brandon Loschiavo finished ninth and 11th, respectively.


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