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'Oh my god': 14yo stuns world in never-before-seen Olympic feat

andrew reid
·3-min read
Pictured here, diver Quan Hongchan celebrates after winning gold in the women's 10m platform.
Fourteen year-old diver Quan Hongchan smashed the Olympic record to claim gold in the women's 10m platform. Pic: Getty

Olympic Games viewers were left speechless on Thursday after 14-year-old Chinese diver Quan Hongchan won the gold medal in the women's 10-metre platform diving in one of the most extraordinary finals in Olympic Games history.

Quan scored an astonishing 466.2 after her five dives, with compatriot Chen Yuxi (425.4) claiming silver and Australian Melissa Wu (371.4) grabbing bronze in what was her first ever individual medal at the Olympics.

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Try as they may, Wu and Chen just couldn't match the flawless performance from Quan, who scored perfect 10s in three out of the five dives in the final.

The 14-year-old is the event's youngest contender and also the youngest on China's Olympic team.

However, she showed nerves of steel that belied her tender age to blow her competitors out of the water.

In winning gold, Quan becomes the second-youngest female to do so in the event after compatriot Fu Mingxia took the title at age 13 during the Barcelona Games in 1992.

Viewers were blown away watching the teenager's extraordinary feat of perfection, that included two dives given perfect tens by every single judge.

Her total score of 466.20 shattered the previous Olympic record of 447.70, as social media erupted over the unprecedented brilliance.

Melissa Wu wins bronze for Australia

Wu finished third on Thursday with a total of 371.4 points, holding off spirited challenges from Mexican Gabriela Agundez Garcia (358.50) and American Delaney Schnell (340.4).

The 29-year-old, comfortably the most experienced member of Australia's diving team at these Games, was one of 12 competitors in the medal-deciding contest.

Wu was in danger of missing the cut after her opening dive in the semi, a forward three-and-a-half somersaults in the pike position, was given a score of 61.5.

Seen here, Aussie diver Melissa Wu stands on the podium with her 10m platform bronze medal.
Aussie Melissa Wu poses with the first individual medal of her Olympic Games career. Pic: Getty

But the veteran claimed fifth spot on the leaderboard after her second dive, an armstand back double somersault with one and a half twists, and remained in that position throughout the rest of the semi.

Wu has reached the 10m platform final at every Olympics she has competed at. She finished sixth at Beijing 2008, fourth in the London Games then fifth at Rio 2016.

The Aussie did claim a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games in the synchronised 10-metre platform event.

with AAP

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