Although both divers were making their World Cup debuts, Zhao was already known for placing fifth at the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships on 10m. On Friday, he earned the team’s highest score for his forward 4½ (90.65).

Zhao said he was unaware that China was trailing at the halfway point. “I didn't see [the standings]” he said, “but Cui Jiaxi did.”

Yet Cui didn’t say anything. “If he will ask me, then I will tell him,” she said, “But today, he didn’t [ask].”

Zheng Jiuyuan, 21, also contributed to the winning effort, as did Chen Jia, 21, who described the team dynamic as “very active. It's that lively, childlike energy.

"They're really young, so they bring up a lot of energy for us too"
By Chen Jia

Mexico’s silver medal was doubly remarkable because Mexico changed its team composition and some of its dives just 90 minutes before the competition.

Image Source: Gaby Garcia Agundez was a late replacement for Mexico, and helped them to mixed team silver (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

When Alejandra Estudillo Torres got hurt during her 10m prelim, she stepped aside and Gaby Garcia Agundez, 25, filled in on the platform. “We had to switch the dives and strategy, said Aranza Vazquez Montano, 23, who was on springboard duty. Randal Willars Valdez proved to be clutch on 10m, adding a whopping 98.40 points for his forward 4½ pike, the highest score of the night and the hardest dive of the contest, with a 4.1 degree of difficulty. The fourth member of the team, 3m world champion Osmar Olvera Ibarra, 21, was also pleased with his synchro dive, explaining that:

"With Aranza, I did the best 205B dive in my whole life. 205B it's so difficult for me [a back 2½ pike]. We got eights. I never got eight in that dive, so that was incredible"
By Osmar Olvera Ibarra

Meanwhile, host nation Canada led after each of the first two dives, bringing the majority of fans to their feet.

Mia Vallee, 24, led Canada’s charge with a reverse 2½ pike on 3m. The 2022 world championship silver medalist scored 67.50 points for it. “I had a bit of a rough day yesterday with reverse,” Vallee said, “so it was kind of redemption for me.”

Image Source: Mia Vallee contributed to hosts Canada's bronze medal ( Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Nathan Zsombor-Murray, 22, dove next, seizing 91.20 points for his forward 4½. They joined forces on the third dive – which didn’t go as well.

Still, Matt Cullen, 20, was confident the team would succeed. “I texted Nathan one week ago: We getting that medal in team event,” said Cullen, the 2022 junior world champion on 10m.

Szombor-Murray recalled replying: “’Hell yeah!’ Welllll, I don't know if that's exactly what I said,” suggesting there might have been a more passionate response. Either way, he said:

"This was probably one of the best mixed team events I've ever competed in"
By Nathan Zsombor-Murray

Canadian bronze medalist Katelyn Fung, 21, agreed. “Our team is already close, but [this team event] is bringing us even closer. And to do it in front of a home crowd, too” was equally enticing.

After China, Mexico, and Canada, the other seven teams finished in the following order: Neutral Athletes B (22.50 points off the podium), Ukraine, United States, Australia, Italy, Germany, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Next Up

Four gold medals will be awarded on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. local time in women’s 3m synchro followed by men’s 10m synchro at 12:30.  After that, check out the the women’s 3m final at 16:30   where reigning Olympic and three-time world champion Chen Yiwen of China will be the top qualifier. Saturday’s events will close with the men’s 10m individual final at 19:00, featuring two-time reigning world champion Cassiel Rousseau of Australia and China’s Lian Junjie who took silver behind Rousseau at the 2023 Fukuoka world championships.