Hunt for most historic gold:

Image Source: Gold Medalists, Yani Chang and Yiwen Chen of Team People's Republic of China pose with their medals after winning gold in the Women's Synchronised 3m Springboard Final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Can the People’s Republic of China overtake the United States to claim the most Olympic gold medals in diving history?  Absolutely. On Monday, Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani’s combined victory in the women’s 3m synchro event put China in a tie with the US, at 48 gold. With seven events remaining in Paris, expect China to set a new benchmark.

The sweep:  

Image Source: Gold medalist Cassiel Rousseau of Team Australia poses at the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)

It’s no secret that China is trying to sweep all eight Olympic diving gold medals in Paris. The feat has never been achieved at the Games – but it’s been a different story at the world championships where China has won every gold medal in every event it entered, multiple times. In fact, it went six years without a loss at worlds – until Australia’s dynamic Cassiel Rousseau captured gold in the men’s 10m event in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2023.  Could this be the year that China achieves the impossible dream at the Olympics?  It seems likely. 

Stop the sweep?

Image Source: Thomas Daley and Matty Lee of Team Great Britain pose for photographers with their gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Then again, maybe Great Britain’s Tom Daley, at 30, can once again prevent China from winning everything at the Games.  Find out on Monday, as Daley returns for his fifth Olympics with a new partner, Noah Williams, in the men’s 10m synchro final.  In Tokyo, men’s 10m synchro was the only diving event China failed to win, as Daley captured gold Matty Lee, 1.23 points ahead of China.

Double duty:

Image Source: Carson Tyler waves to the crowd before competing in the Men's 3M Finals during the U.S. Olympic Diving Team Trials. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Here’s something no one from China is doing: contesting two individual events in Paris. But one American is! Carson Tyler will be the only diver competing in both the men’s 3m (which starts August 6) and men’s 10m (which begins August 9). And while the 20-year-old college student from Georgia might be a long shot to claim a medal in his Olympic debut, Tyler is the first American since Mark Ruiz in 2000 to qualify in both 3m springboard and 10m platform at the same Olympics. The double was much more common before synchronized diving events were added Olympic program in 2000.  Prior to that, Pat McCormick and Greg Louganis of the US became legendary after winning both gold medals in both events, back-to-back: McCormick in 1952 and 1956, Louganis in 1984 and 1988.

Back-and-forth battle between teenage titans

Image Source: Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi of China celebrate winning the gold medal for the Women's Synchronized 10m Platform Final during the World Aquatics Diving World Cup 2024 in China. (Wang He/Getty Images)

Within Team China, the most compelling match-up is the ongoing battle between Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi. The two women have fascinated fans around the world ever since Quan won Olympic gold in Tokyo at age 14, and Chen, the Olympic silver medalist, was just 15. The two have gone 1-2 at every world championship since then. Chen prevailed in 2022 and 2023, but Quan quashed Chen’s attempt to three-peat by beating her at the 2024 worlds in February, thus earning the right to enter Paris as the reigning world and Olympic champ. The women’s 10m final will be Tuesday, August 6.