The first individual diving medals of the 2016 Rio Olympics were captured on Sunday afternoon and both gold and silver went to China.
Shi Tingmao, the favorite entering the event, put together a dominant program with high elevation off the board, clean lines through the air, and ripped entries on every attempt, totaling 406.05 points for the gold medal in 3m springboard.
Countrywoman He Zi comfortably took silver with 387.90 points.
Behind the two Chinese divers, Canada's Jennifer Abel and Italy's Tania Cagnotto went back and forth for third, with the Italian emerging at the end to secure the bronze medal.
Cagnotto, who also took silver in the synchronized 3m event, trailed Abel by 7 points going into the final dive. But she closed her list with a massive reverse 2.5 pike for a score of 81.00 and a total of 372.80. She was all smiles after her score posted and gave a big to her coach and father Giorgio Cagnotto -- a four-time Olympic diving medalist.
USA's Abby Johnston placed sixth in the preliminary on Friday and fifth in the semifinal on Saturday, but a low score on her third dive on Sunday stuck her with 302.85-total points and a last place finish in the final.
Johnston took silver in the 2012 London Games in the synchronized 3-meter springboard final with partner Kelci Bryant.
