British duo deny dominant China to win diving gold

Before the men’s synchronised 3m springboard even began they were hurling themselves off every ledge they could find in the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre.

Earlier in the day the wind had cancelled the lightweight double sculls semi-finals for Sinead Lynch and Claire Lambe at the rowing site around the Rio coast from Ipanema Beach, and the diving arena, a stunning open-ended stadium that looked out over Rio, was shrouded in a mist with fulminating dark clouds.

Lightning bolt

If God had permitted, as the British winners Chris Mears and Jack Laugher struck their synchronised ‘Christ the Redeemer’ poses in mid air, a lightning bolt would have added a divine image to a godly setting.

From the platforms and springboards, the skyline gave a false impression of the athletes’ positions. Appearing small and insignificant above the cityscape of high-rise buildings across the bay, each spring from the board brought them above the horizon before plunging down into what briefly appeared an infinite space.

Embroidered

A six-dive final, where the simple first effort back pike became embroidered with twists and summersaults, they arrowed into the water, mostly in silent plops, some in rare splashes and one with a shriek.

The poor Brazilian pair. First a bent leg, then a tilting entry. Everything but synchronicity.

Still, they drew louder applause than the light sliver of clapping that greeted the bleached Russian pair of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Zakharov.

Fun-sized bundles of muscle and energy, they arrowed into the green murk. It was quite a sight. Grey and wet and cold with dusk prematurely creeping in at 4pm, the bombers, pikers and twisters sprung largely in unison into what looked like a St Patrick’s Day green-dye prank.

Before the competition began organisers advised that the change in the water’s colour from an inviting Caribbean Blue to swampy green was due to a chemical reaction and no risk to the athlete’s health.

Having investigated the alkalinity of the water following some alarming reactions to its sudden change in colour on Tuesday evening, they treated the pool with chlorine and promised the colour would soon return to normal.

Not tonight. But that didn’t affect the British pair of Laugher (21) and Mears (23), who broke down in tears when their victory was finally confirmed by China’s faltering sixth and final dive.

Seven years ago, Mears held odds of 20/1 against surviving a burst spleen and the loss of five pints of blood during a diving session for the Youth Olympics in Sydney.

Then 16-years-old, Mears was suffering from undiagnosed glandular fever, with internal swelling compressing his organs to the point where his diving caused his spleen to rupture. The spleen was removed and he was put on life-support. He pulled through. But he was told he would never dive again.

But he’s in Rio and here he was in the driving rain at the front of the eight-team field with his partner, and a bent leg or a half twist that should have been a three-quarters twist away from not being on the top of the podium, with one dive remaining.

Last effort

As ever, it unfolded with creases in the script, waiting and hoping that their last dive would better Sam Dorman and Mike Hixon. The American pair’s last effort was brave and complex as they hurled themselves into the rain clasping their knees and spinning like tops, perfect in time and space.

They barely splashed and emerged from the water punching and slapping the surface as happy Americans do. The score was good and it pushed them up the board. They knew they were in the medals. But what colour?

The British pair stood up, took a few deep breaths and they too sprung out clasping their knees into a power spin. There was barely a ripple as they broke the surface.

When they emerged they nervously looked at each other, the fear of being crushed by daring to believe. But the 454.32 points earned Britain their first Olympic diving gold medal and marked the first diving event in Rio that China has failed to win.

There were no bolts of lightning across a nasty Rio sky. But there was a glorious end. Mears can believe that someone delivered for him.