Mexico’s Osmar Olvera Ibarra ends China’s dominance in men’s 3m springboard

SINGAPORE – Waking up in the morning of Aug 1, Mexican diver Osmar Olvera Ibarra had only one thing in mind.

Having claimed three silver medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the 21-year-old was determined to win the gold in his last event and end China’s near two-decade stranglehold on the men’s 3m springboard.

At the OCBC Aquatic Centre later in the evening, he accomplished what he had set out to do as he somersaulted, twisted and piked his way to history.

Garnering 529.55 points from six dives, he became the first Mexican winner of the event, preventing China, represented by Cao Yuan and Wang Zongyuan, from making it 11 consecutive wins.

Cao, who was just 6.85 points behind Olvera, had also finished second in 2019 and 2022 while Wang, who had won in three consecutive editions before this meet, slipped to third with 515.55 points.

“Yeah, I believed it,” said Olvera when The Straits Times asked him shortly after the medal ceremony if he had believed that he would be the one to end China’s streak, which stretched back to the 2007 edition.

“When I got up, I told myself that I will get a gold medal today. And that today, I will be a world champion and I got it, so I’m so happy.

“I don’t know (why I felt this way) but yesterday when I went to sleep, I thought it would be a really great day and in the morning, I was really sure today I would beat the Chinese divers. I know that they are the best, the best country in this sport, and I am always training, thinking that I want to beat them. And today I got it.

“It’s a dream come true.”

Olvera had finished second behind Wang in the 2023 edition in Fukuoka and was third in Doha in 2024, behind Wang and Xie Siyi.

Finishing behind China had become an all-too-familiar feeling to him.

At the Paris Olympics last August, he also placed third behind Xie and Wang in the 3m springboard and partnered Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez to a silver in the 3m synchronised, as Wang and Long Daoyi claimed the gold.

Even in Singapore, he had to settle for silver in the men’s 3m synchronised, 1m springboard and mixed 3m and 10m team – all behind Chinese rivals.

The script looked set to stay that way on Aug 1. Going into the penultimate dive, it was the Chinese divers who had the upper hand with Cao and Wang racking up 344.80 points and 335.85 points respectively, while Olvera garnered 329.45.

But the Mexican saved his best dives – and the most difficult ones – for the last two rounds, as he overtook his rivals to become the first non-Chinese winner in the event since Canada’s Alexandre Despatie in 2005.

Standing atop the podium with the Himno Nacional Mexicano blaring through the speakers was an emotional moment for him.

“Honestly, I was almost crying. I felt my country, I felt my family. I think they are really proud and I want to just enjoy the moment,” said Olvera.

Despite finishing second, Cao said he was very satisfied.

“It’s also a breakthrough for me. I really wanted to help the Chinese team win the gold medal, but there may be some details that I didn’t do well enough,” said the 30-year-old.

“For me, second place is actually very satisfying, but I hoped to help the Chinese team win the gold medal.”

During the preliminaries earlier in the day, Singapore’s Avvir Tham and Max Lee finished 22nd and 44th respectively out of 65 and did not make it to the semi-finals.

In the women’s 3m springboard, Singapore’s Clara Liaw and Fong Kay Yian finished in 40th and 46th place respectively out of 52 divers and did not progress.