China and USA battling for Olympic Games medal supremacy, diving gold for Chen
- Chen hails ‘amazing’ moment as China nudge ahead of US in gold race, but warns, ‘there are still 2 days to go’
Chen Yiwen claimed diving gold, the men’s table tennis team defended their crown, and China kept pace with fellow sporting superpower USA in the race for Olympic medal table supremacy on another gripping day in Paris.
Chen’s masterclass on the 3-metres springboard earned China their seventh gold from seven events at the Paris Aquatics Centre, with the expectation of an eighth to come on Saturday.
China’s men were similarly imposing at the South Paris Arena, where Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin and the evergreen Ma Long beat Sweden 3-0 in the men’s team final, earning the country’s players a fourth table tennis title from the four so far up for grabs.
Success was the fifth consecutive Olympic team title for China’s men, while Ma added a sixth gold to his already impressive collection.
An earlier women’s canoe double 500m triumph for Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya meant China had 32 golds, to 30 for the US, after the table tennis concluded. More American track and field success was expected overnight, but China have created the platform to top an Olympic medal table away from home for the first time.
