MX23RW : Thursday, November 21 10:40:41| >> :600:5579150:5579150:

Live Commentary: Olympic diving - day 13 as it happened

Sports Mole brings you live text commentary from day 13 of the Olympic diving.

Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of day 13 of the Olympic diving.

London's stunning Aquatics Centre plays host to the final of the women's 10m platform, where 18 divers will compete for a spot in tonight's final.

Team GB's Stacie Powell and Monique Gladding dropped out during the preliminary round, but there are a number of crowd-pleasing divers in action for the home faithful to adopt.

China's Chen Ruolin is the favourite to take the gold tonight, but Australian duo Melissa Wu and Brittany Broban impressed during the previous round.


8.19pmThat's all from me here today. Join us tomorrow evening for all the action from the men's event, in which Tom Daley and Peter Waterfield are in action!

8.06pmChen wins gold with a score of 422.30, Broben takes home silver on 366.50, and Pamg secures bronze on 359.20. Wu misses out on a medal by little more than a point!

8.05pmChen bags the gold medal with a brilliant back 2 1/2 somersault 1 1/2 twists. A phenomenal performance from the world champion!

8.04pmPamg with take bronze for Malaysia as things stand.

8.03pmBroben digs deep on her final dive. It's an incredible back 2 1/2 somersault 1 twist, and it's worth 81.60! That is the silver for her!

8.02pmWu moves into second behind Pamg. Could they be our silver and bronze?

8.01pmPamg is in front now, earning 76.80 for her final dive! It's so tense here tonight!

8.00pmKoltunova storms to the top of the scoreboard, knocking Sanchez into second!

7.59pmSteuer has knocked Batki out of the bronze medal position, but she is unlikely to cling onto that third place.

7.58pmSanchez is on for silver as it stands, but there are a few heavy-hitters to dive yet.

7.55pmHu raises her game even further in the final round. She earns 86.40, but because of her appalling start she cannot win a medal here tonight.

7.54pmBatki with a reverse 2 1/2 somersault. It's well performed but the low degree of difficulty sees her take 67.50, which is unlikely to be enough to make the podium. Sanchez remains above her in first.

7.53pmSanchez performs the same move with more competence. She racks up 70.40, which could be enough for a medal.

7.52pmProkopchuk blows her chances of a medal on her final dive, earning 57.60 for sloppy execution.

7.51pmAt the end of round four, Chen tops the pile on 335.90, Prokopchuk is in second on 286.95, and Sanchez is in third on 285.80. But it is ever so close after that!

7.50pmChen maintains her dominance with a back 3 1/2 somersault. It's her weakest of the night but 79.20 still has her way out in front.

7.49pmBenfeito's aerial work is good but her entry was sloppy on her amrstand dive. She ends up with a 66.00.

7.47pmWu's inward 3 1/2 somersault earns her a 75.20, which moves her to sixth. Broben is off centre on her fourth dive and ends up with a 57.75. That could cost her a medal!

7.46pmKoltunova and Pamg could end up back in contention after strong second round dives. They lie in third and fifth, respectively.

7.42pmHu finally hits her top form and pulls in 89.10 on her fourth dive. She looks more like her old self there, but she was already out of it. At least it looks like her coach is back on her side now!

7.41pmBatki could be experiencing nerves after seeing herself in the medal positions. She only scored 68.80 on her penultimate dive.

7.41pmSanchez is upping her game at just the right time, earning 80.00 for her fourth dive and moving into second for now.

7.40pmA great fourth dive from the Ukraine's Prokopchuk. A score of 79.20 puts her in contention!

7.38pmAt the end of round three Chen is in the lead on 256.70, Broben is second on 227.15, and Batki is third on 213.75. After that it is very tight!

7.37pmChen's masterful armstand dive was even better than Broben's. It's an 86.40 for her, and we might as well place that gold medal around her neck now.

7.37pmBenfeito steps it up with an inward 3 1/2 somersault worth 72.00. She has left herself with too much to do here.

7.35pmBroben absolutely nails her armstand dive. Perfect on entry for one of the dives of the evening! Perhaps worth a shade more than the 83.20 the judges award, but she moves into a 14-point lead!

7.34pmWu's back 2 1/2 somersault is short of vertical on entry and she is marked down with a 56.10.

7.33pmPamg's armstand back double somersault 1 1/2 twists is overzealous. She hits the water too hard and ends up with 64.00.

7.30pmHu, who went into her third dive in bottom place, is more convincing on her third dive. However, a 76.80 is too little too late.

7.29pmBatki puts in a steady third dive for a score of 72.00. She will be thereabouts come the end of she keeps this up.

7.27pmSanchez performs a reverse 3 1/2 somersault. She takes her time to compose herself and performs it effortlessly, despite throwing up too much splash. A harsh 61.05 from the judges. That won't help her medal campaign too much, but she goes into second for now.

7.25pmChen leads at the end of round two with a score of 170.30, Wu is in second on 150.00, and Sanchez is in third on 144.75.

7.24pmChen closes the round with an inward 3 1/2 somersault and maintains her hefty lead with great execution and aerial work. She banks 84.80 points!

7.22pmHer teammate Broben nails an inward 3 1/2 somersault to put 83.20 points on the board. As with Pamg, it's just a shame her first dive wasn't of that quality.

7.21pmWu with an impressive armstand launch. She comes away with a solid 72.00 and takes the lead.

7.21pmPamg makes up some ground with a 78.30 on her second dive. What a shame she faltered on her first. She could still be on for a medal, though.

7.19pmA stronger second dive from Steuer of Germany. Great entry into the water. The judges award her 76.80.

7.19pmA stronger second dive from Steuer of Germany. Great entry into the water. The judges award her 76.80.

7.17pmHu, looking to improve on her mediocre first dive, is sloppy on her second. She's marked down with a 43.20, and appears to have been snubbed by her coach on the poolside. Harsh!

7.16pmBatki goes with a dive with a lower degree of difficulty to follow her impressive opener. The judges award her 65.25.

7.14pmSanchez goes with a back 3 1/2 somersault for her second dive. She's raised her game from the previous rounds, but a 74.25 isn't quite podium quality.

7.13pmAt the end of round one, Chen leads, Wu is second and Batki is third. This should be an interesting contest.

7.12pmChen shows the rest how the inward 3 1/2 should be performed. It's near-flawless for an 85.50 and an early lead.

7.12pmBenfeito makes an error on her forward 3 1/2, entering the water almost back-first. She's penalised with a 49.50.

7.10pmHer compatriot Brobin starts with an inward 2 1/2 somersault. Her execution was good, but she threw up too much splash on entry. She ends up with a 60.75.

7.09pmSmooth entry into the water from Australia's Wu. She bag a high score of 78.00. A great start for her!

7.09pmMalaysia's Pamg has been performing well, but her opener in the final isn't her best. A 58.50 for her.

7.07pmKoltunova kicks things off with a bold armstand dive. She over-rotates slightly and is marked down with a 72.85. The high degree of difficulty helped boost her score.

7.05pmHu of China looks like she is carrying an injury or something. Only a 54.00 for her. She had been off her game for the entire contest!

7.04pmBatki of Italy goes with the same opening move. It's executed well and is the best dive so far. She earns 76.50 to take an early lead.

7.03pmSanchez of Mexico has been one of the disappointments of the contest so far, but her opener here was strong. A 70.50 for her too.

7.02pmProkopchuk starts with a forward 3 1/2 somersault. This is a popular dive to begin with, and she takes 70.50 for her effort.

6.58pmThe action will be under way momentarily. Iuliia Prokopchuk of the Ukraine will dive first tonight. Eleven divers will follow her, performing five dives each.

6.55pmThanks to The AP for those quotes.

6.55pmWhile the Chinese sensation is the favourite for the gold, it isn't a foregone conclusion. Wu has stated her intention to fight for the gold: "Gold is never sewn up. I just want to do five good dives, and that's my goal for the final."

6.51pmEver the perfectionist is Chen!

6.50pmHere's what defending world champion Chen had to say ahead of her performance in the semi: "It was so-so. There were some dives that were not perfect, some entries that were not perfect."

6.49pmMeaghan Benfeito of Canada is another one to watch. She was running-up in the semi-final, and one of only a handful of consistent performers in the competition so far.

6.40pmWe were very impressed by Australian pair Melissa Wu and Brittany Broban, and wouldn't be at all surprised if the latter made the podium tonight.

6.39pmChina's Chen Ruolin is the hot favourite tonight. She was nothing short of prolific in the semi-final.

6.35pmIf you missed the action from this morning's semi-final, you can find a handy recap here.

6.33pmWelcome back to SM's live coverage of the final of the women's 10m platform.

11.35amAt the end of the final round, Chen tops the pile with a score of 407.25, Benfeito is second on 359.90, and Broben is third on 359.55.

11.34amChen didn't even need to perform her final dive, she was already through, but an 84.80 finish puts her well ahead at the top.

11.34amPamg will join her there. She will make the top five with an overall score of 352.50.

11.33amSteuer books a place in the final. She's been steady, though not spectacular.

11.31amWu and Broben have both secured spots in the final, both rounding off their morning with impressive dives. The latter has moved into second for the time being.

11.30amHu can only manage 56.00 on her final dive. She makes the final but has been off her game today.

11.29amKoltunova ends with a back 2 1/2 somersault 1 1/2 twist. She was slightly short on entry, but the judges didn't seem to mind to much. She earns 70.40 and a place in the final.

11.28amChen and Sanchez are officially in the final now!

11.27amBell can't muster a big enough finish. Her final dive is worth 67.20, and that will not be good enough.

11.27amBenfeito joins her fellow Canadian in the final, ending on a sublime back 2 1/2 somersault 1 1/2 twist worth 76.80.

11.26amRoseline Filion, who tops the pile at the moment, is the first to officially make the final. Batki is mathematically there too.

11.25amBatki has been among the few consistent performers today. A score of 68.85 will likely be enough to qualify.

11.24amSanchez ends on a back 2 1/2 somersault 1 1/2 twists to earn 76.80. That might be enough to see the Mexican creep through.

11.22amBoth Americans, Bell and Viola, look to be on the way out. Viola's score of 70.40 for her final dive may not be enough to book a place in the final.

11.22amJin Ok Kim has an agonising wait to find out whether her final score of 312.95 will be enough for the final.

11.16amAt the end of the penultimate round, Chen is top on 322.45, Benefito is second on 283.10 and Broben is third on 282.75. Sanchez and Bell need big finishes to stay in the competition, hovering outside the top 12.

11.15amChen continues to storm through this with a score of 84.15 for her fourth dive. She has a gap of almost 40 points at the top now.

11.13amWe'll have to Australians in the last 12. Wu is in fourth after her fourth dive, and Broben continues to impress. She is up to second behind Benfeito.

11.11amHu continues to dive below-par. Only a 54.45 for her fourth dive. Not the kind of score we are used to seeing from Chinese divers.

11.09amKoltunova remains consistent, without being spectacular. A 67.20 for her inward 3 1/2 somersault puts her in second place and she will qualify comfortably.

11.09amBell's aerial work is good, but she's banana-shaped on entry. A 64.35 is unlikely to be enough to bring her back tonight.

11.08amIt's likely that we'll see two Canadians in the final. Benfeito's armstand back triple somersault is worth 69.30, enough to take the lead for now.

11.06amBatki of Italy takes 76.80 for the same dive. She is in second behind Filion and will almost certainly be coming back tonight.

11.03amSanchez performs her best dive of the morning. Her inward 3 1/2 somersault brings in 72.00, but that may not be enough to take her through to tonight's final.

11.01amJin Ok Kim has an interesting technique she uses on her armstand dives. She pushes off from the platform with her nose. A 65.10 for her unorthodox fourth dive.

10.58amAt the end of round three, Chen leads on 238.30, Broben is second on 229.95, and Hu is third on 217.80.

10.56amChen's armstand back double somersault 1 1/2 twists is pulled off beautifully. An 81.60 for her will give her breathing space at the top.

10.55amPamg over-rotates following her armstand, but earns a 70.40 to keep her in contention.

10.53amBroben's armstand back double somersault 1 1/2 twists is strong on both takeoff and entry. The judges award 76.80 and she takes first place and is odds on for the final.

10.51amHu performs an armstand back double somersault 1 1/2 twists. It would have been perfect if her entry was cleaner. A 76.80 for her. She takes the lead despite being less than spectacular so far.

10.50amKoltunova launches into her forward 3 1/2. A 67.50 will keep her at the business end of the table

10.48amBell performs the same move and botches it. A meagre 35.20, and she has her work cut out now.

10.47amBenfeito with an inward 3 1/2 somersault. She grabs 70.40 and moves into first place. She's not going to stay there, but she looks good for the final.

10.45amSanchez continues to struggle, only pulling in 56.10 for her reverse 3 1/2 somersault, a dive with a high degree of difficulty.

10.42amA poor third dive from Kurjo. She catches her toes on the platform and lands with a heavy splash. The judges penalise her with a 33.60.

10.37amAt the end of round two, Chen leads, Broben is in second and Koltunova is in third.

10.37amChen steals the lead with an inward 3 1/2 somersault. The judges award her 83.20, and she is looking in good form.

10.36amSteuer of Germany claws back some ground, bagging a 72.00 for her back 1 1/2 somersault 1 1/2 twists.

10.35amBroben's inward 3 1/2 is superbly executed! She goes into the lead with an 81.60 for her second dive.

10.32amHu of China needed to make up ground following a mediocre first dive. Her aerial work is good, but she throws up too much splash and loses a mark or two. A 72.00 for her.

10.30amBell has a conversation with herself before launching into a reverse 2 1/2 somersault. It doesn't work quite as well as it did last time. She is marked down on execution with a 56.55.

10.30amCanada's Benfeito takes the lead with a 75.90 for her back 2 1/2 somersault.

10.27amSanchez of Mexico has been one of the disappointments of this competition, and she doesn't look like she will be turning it round in the semi-final. A 46.20 on her second dive gives her a lot to do.

10.23amKurjo of Germany dazzles the crowd and judges with an impressive armstand back double somersault 1 1/2 twists 72.00. One of the best dives we've seen so far!

10.19amAt the end of round one, Koltunova of Russia leads, followed by Bell and Chen.

10.17amPandelela Rinong Pamg's forward 3 1/2 earns a solid 67.50 to open her account here today. Chen of China isn't as convincing, but is marked up by the judges, taking 73.50.

10.16amBroben of Australia with an inward 2 1/2 somersault to take an impressice 71.55. She's among the frontrunners.

10.15amA lovely opening dive from Koltunova of Russia. She goes with an armstand launch and nets 77.50.

10.13amNakagawa of Japan catches her toes on the platform on the way down. Ouch! That score of 49.00 is just as painful for her.

10.12amKatie Bell of the US is entertaining to watch. She talks to herself ahead of launch, but it seems to work! She's now in the lead with a 73.50!

10.10amIuliia Prokopchuk of the Ukraine puts in a neat opener. A 72.00 puts her into an early lead.

10.07amThe North Koreans are up for this today. Jin Ok Kim earns 70.05 for her opener.

10.05amThe first 10 divers will be performing forward 3 1/2 moves. Filion of Canada and Kurjo of Germany aren't quite as convincing on theirs.

10.03amKim starts us off with a forward 3 1/2 somersault. She's strong and steady on her opener, earning a score of 63.00.

9.58amUn Hyang Kim of North Korea is up first.

9.56amThe last 18 is about to commence. Only 12 can make it through to tonight's final.

9.53amToday will be a real test of the competitors' mettle. They were diving until late last night, then up first thing for training. It's an unforgiving programme!

9.45amGood morning and welcome to out live coverage of day 13 of the Olympic diving. There's no home interest in the women's 10m platform semi-final, but there are plenty of crowd-pleasers among the pack for the home faithful to adopt.
ID:39306: cacheID:39306:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:33746:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Monique Gladding
Read Next:
Team GB pair miss out on 10m platform semi-final
>