China's Xiong Ni Wins Men's Springboard
After one of the closest finishes in diving history, China's Xiong Ni claimed the men's three-meter springboard title Tuesday. The champion scored an impressive 81.60 on his final dive -- an inward triple-somersault with a tuck -- for a grand total of 708.72. That was just three-tenths of a point more than Fernando Platas of Mexico. World champion Dmitri Saoutine of Russia was third.

Wilkinson Stuns Chinese, Wins Gold
The women's platform diving competition came down to the third dives of the final round -- a sensational effort by U.S. diver Laura Wilkinson and two big goofs by her Chinese rivals.

Wilkinson used that 20-point swing to pull off one of the bigger upsets of these Olympics. China's Li Na and Sang Xue were expected to finish 1-2 by many observers. In the end, Li slipped to the silver medal and Canada's Anne Montminy grabbed the bronze.

Wilkson broke her foot in three places in March and wasn't sure she'd be able to qualify for the U.S. team, let alone win gold at Sydney.

About Diving
European gymnasts were the first to figure out that if they practiced fancy acrobatics over water, the landing wouldn't be so painful. And that's how competition diving was born. It since has developed into one of the most compelling Olympic sports, serving as a virtual illustration for Hemingway's definition of courage as "grace under pressure."

The Olympic format remains as simple as when the sport was introduced in 1924: Men and women execute dives from the three-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform.

Individual competitors perform for a panel of seven judges who use a "perfect 10" scoring system to rate approach, take-off, execution and entry into the water. The point totals are adjusted based on the dive's degree of difficulty.

Divers to watch in the men's competition are China's Tian Liang and Russia's Dmitry Sautin, as well as Mark Ruiz of the United States, Mexico's Fernando Platas, Germany's Andreas Wels and Russia's Dmitry Sautin. The top women include China's Xiaoqlao Liang and Sang Xue, Ukraine's Yulia Pakhalina and Olena Zhupina and Canadian Myriam Boileau.