Springboard, Men

The defending champion was China’s Xiong Ni, but the favorite was Russian Dmitry Sautin, the 1998 World Champion in the event. Xiong led after the qualifying and the semi-finals, but it was very close, not just between him and Sautin, but Mexican Fernando Platas was right there as well. It actually came down to the final dive in the final round, with all three having a chance at the gold medal, although Sautin was in the lead. Platas dove first, getting 83.64 points for a forward 2½ with 2 twists. Sautin then slightly missed on a reverse 2½ with 1½ twists, dropping him a few points behind Platas. Xiong needed 81.31 points to win and he was attempting an inward 3½. His scores gave him 81.60 points and he had defended his gold medal.

This was Platas’s third Olympics but his first medal. He would also compete in 2004, placing fifth on springboard. Xiong would add another gold medal in synchro springboard two days after this final, ending his Olympic career with five medals, three of them gold. In 2000 Sautin became the first diver to win four medals at one Olympics, medaling in all the diving events, with a gold in synchronized platform.