China out on top

Ten metre platform diving: A spectacular event

Sydney 2000's Olympic diving competition got underway with few surprises in the women's 10m platform event, as BBC Sport's Jonathon Moore reports.

Anyone who remembers the trepidation of attempting their first platform dive, will tell you it requires an enormous amount of bravery.

It is something many attempt only once, myself included.

If my memory serves me correctly, the platform, somewhere in the south of France, was at least Olympic height.

I'm happy with my final placing, of course I am

  China's Xue Sang

And as I span and twisted, entering the pool with the most graceful of landings, the on-looking crowd gasped in awe.

None of the above actually happened, of course. I did, in fact travel to the top of the platform (and let me tell you 10 metres is a long way up without a parachute). But you won't be surprised to hear that before I could even allow myself to feel dizzy I had retreated back down the steps in what could only have been an Olympic record.

Diving takes courage, natural talent and the ability to contort your body into positions you might otherwise have thought impossible.

But if you get it right, it is one of the most exhilarating sports on the planet - both for participant and spectator.

World's best

On show at Sydney's Aquatic Centre on Friday were the best divers on the planet, though in the end there were few surprises.

China christened the opening day of competition as only they know how, with World Cup gold medallists Xue Sang and Na Li qualifying well ahead of the field.

Team GB's Lesley Ward (right) failed to qualify

With respective scores of 374.79 and 366.66 they topped the individual 10m platform standings, with Canada's Anne Montminy (339.93) and Emilie Heymans (333.78) finishing the day in third and fourth position.

In all, 16 competitors qualified for the semi-finals, but there was no luck for Team GB's Lesley Ward and Sally Freeman.

Freeman finished in 25th position, with Ward three places further back.

"I'm happy with my final placing, of course I am," said Xue. "I came first.

"It's good having someone with Na's ability there too, it pushes and helps me reach even greater heights."

The Canadian team were understandably delighted to have qualified so high up the rankings.

"It felt good," Montminy said. "The venue is amazing, You know it's the Olympics."

Australia's Rebecca Gilmore, who finished in 12th position, is attempting to win her country's first diving medal, since Dick Eve won gold in the men's platform event in 1924, though she admits it will be tough to displace the Chinese.

"They're always so good and today was yet another example," she said.

"China are a real powerhouse in this sport, and you have to perform incredibly to have any chance of beating them."