Diver Olvera Secures Second Olympic Medal for Mexico

Diver Osmar Olvera advanced to the individual springboard final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Wednesday, after obtaining the fourth best score corresponding to the semi-final of the event with 463.75 points, in a competition held at the Aquatic Center of the French capital, the venue for this discipline in the summer event.

With this result, Olvera Ibarra will have the opportunity to seek his second medal in the great competition, after climbing onto the podium with the silver medal in synchronized diving alongside Juan Manuel Celaya, an achievement that would place him as the first Mexican diver in 68 years to obtain a pair of Olympic medals in the same competition, emulating the feat achieved by Joaquín Capilla in the 1956 Melbourne edition.

On his way to the final, the world multi-medallist left partial scores of 81.60 (407C), 68.25 (307C), 66.60 (207C), 72.15 (5172B), 87.40 (109C) and 87.75 (5156B), with his two highest scores delivered in the last rounds and with the executions of greater degree of difficulty: four and a half turns to the front in C, as well as two and a half turns to the front in C, and two and a half turns to the left in C. half turns to the front with three turns in B.

The semi-final was led by the Chinese Zongyuan Wang, with 537.85 points, followed by his compatriot Siyi Xie, with 505.85 units, as well as the British Jack Laugher, with 467.05 units, who together with the Mexican are emerging as the contenders to dispute the three places on the Olympic podium in the individual springboard.

I came to Paris 2024 to win two medals and I did it: Osmar Olvera

At 20 years of age, Osmar Olvera Ibarra joined the names of the historic Mexican athletes who, at the Olympic level, have been protagonists of feats such as the one he signed this Thursday by achieving the bronze medal in the men's 3-meter individual springboard.

"It was the objective, I knew I could achieve it, I came to win two medals, I am very happy. My biggest lesson was to fight until the end and enjoy every day, every training session, all the time, in the village and in the pool,” he said.

“I am very happy, I knew I could do it and that was my goal in these Olympic Games—two medals and I achieved it. I knew what I had to do, there were dives that I could improve, but in the end the goal was achieved, which was to reach 500 points. I am happy to get there, but I want more and if I want to fight for gold, I have to improve those details,” he said.

Osmar Olvera achieved 500.40 points after six executions, finishing only behind the Chinese Siyi Xie (543.60) and Zongyuan Wang (530.20), so, he assured, the goal of continuing to seek gold for the next Olympic cycle remains firm.

“You can always fight against the Chinese, I think one of them failed and that shows that they are not robots, I have been saying it since the synchronized swimming and I feel happy that they know that I am there, that I am fighting them, that I am 20 years old, that I am still young and that I have one more cycle where I am going to do much better. I am missing the gold and I will go for it,” he said.

After shining at the Paris 2024 Aquatics Center, Olvera says goodbye with a historic pair of medals after the silver obtained in synchronized swimming alongside Juan Manuel Celaya, so he takes a great memory of the ‘City of Light’.

“The Eiffel Tower is the most beautiful thing in Paris and knowing that I have a part of it in my two medals makes it more special,” he said.

Osmar Olvera's medals are also historic for me: Ma Jin

Osmar Olvera Ibarra's career has had a pillar and a guide outside the pools: coach Ma Jin, who, after the young diver's double podium at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, said, is also history for her.

The Chinese-born coach celebrated her pupil's triumphs, as his record includes this bronze obtained by Olvera in 3 meters individual, as well as the silver in synchronized swimming with Juan Celaya, also on the springboard.

"I am very happy for Osmar, it has been a lot of work for him, there was a lot of pressure today, but we have already won," she said excitedly after the competition held at the Aquatic Center of the French capital.

“In synchronized swimming, we made history for Mexico and in individual swimming, a child won two medals, that is also history for me, I am very happy with my work, because it has been very hard,” added the experienced coach.

Ma Jin assured that Osmar Olvera’s technique, at 20 years of age, has been improving, but he has to be more constant to reach the top because, she considers, the gold medal is no longer seen as far away.

“Since he was little, Osmar has trusted me, leaving his family to work, he already has a technique similar to the Chinese, he has the goal of doing the same, he has the goal of a gold medal, now he knows that it is close, I am sure we have to push harder to reach the goal,” she said.

“When he came to my team, he told me that the gold medal is missing in the Games and I want it with you. Today there is little left, we are close and we will do more work with him, he has his goal of where he wants to get to, how good that I am with him with my strength and experience to help him,” she commented.

With her permanent concentration in the National Center for the Development of Sports Talents and High Performance (CNAR), Ma Jin highlighted the support she has received from the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (CONADE) in the training of young athletes.

“We work at the CNAR and I am grateful to everyone, from the pool, the offices, the village, the dining room, to the cleaning staff. I want to say thank you for everything,” she said.