Wilkinson stuns Chinese divers

Chinese diver Sang Xue in the 10m platform event

American Laura Wilkinson stunned the powerful Chinese divers to win America's first Olympic gold in 36 years on the 10-metre platform.

Wilkinson, 22, broke the Chinese stranglehold on the platform, where they had won four straight Olympic titles.

Wilkinson was more than 20 points behind Chinese pair Li Na and Sang Xue in eighth place from the four-dive semifinal going into the five-dive final.

But, as her rivals faltered, she seized the lead from Li with her third dive and held her nerve to take the gold in an extremely close three-way contest.

Wilkinson finished first with 543.75 points, just 1.74 points ahead of China's Li Na, who had 542.01.

Anne Montminy of Canada earned bronze with 540.15.

Wilkinson, who had broken her foot in March, wore a kayak shoe to protect the bones in her foot, then tossed it off the tower before diving.

The last US Olympic highboard champion was Lesley Bush at the 1964 Tokyo Games.