Chinese diver Chen Yuxi shocked teammate and Olympic champion Quan Hongchan to win her third consecutive 10m platform world title on Wednesday.
Gold medalist Chen Yuxi (R) of China and silver medalist Quan Hongchan of China pose during the awarding ceremony of women's 10m platform final of the World Aquatics Championships 2023 in Fukuoka, Japan, July 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)
The 17-year-old Chen and 16-year-old Quan, who retained their synchronized title at the World Aquatics Championships on Sunday, showed that they are in a league of their own with some nearly flawless moves.
Chen led from the start to finish, scoring a total of 457.85 points after five dives. Quan, who beat Chen in the two qualifying rounds on Tuesday, got a set of 10s in round four but some small errors in the first two rounds proved too costly. She finished second in 445.60 points.
Canada's Caeli McKay took bronze with 340.25, 117.60 points behind the winner.
The victory will give a confidence boost to Chen in her preparation for the Paris Olympics.
Chen came to the Tokyo Olympic Games as the 2019 world champion, but Quan, who was then only 14, rose to the occasion, getting the better of her teammate with a new world record of 466.20 points for the Olympic gold.
In last year's Budapest worlds, Chen managed to edge Quan by 0.3 points to win her second world title. She went on to beat Quan six times in a row before losing to Quan in the World Cup last May.
