Willars and Berlín Fifth and Ninth in 10m Platform Final
Mexican divers Randal Willars and Kevin Berlín competed in the individual 10m platform final at Paris 2024. Willars finished 5th, showcasing impressive skills but falling short of the podium.
After their fourth place in synchronized, Randal Willars Valdez and Kevin Berlín Reyes returned this Saturday to the 10-meter platform for the individual final in which they finished in fifth and ninth place, respectively, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Willars made his Olympic debut and finished in fifth place with 478.30 points after six jumps, his last being the most difficult 4.1 degrees, the highest of the entire competition.
The Pan American champion in Santiago 2023 regretted not having executed the jump as he had expected, but assured that he is happy with Paris 2024 and having competed in his first Olympic final.
“I am happy with what my final was, I think I did well and I felt comfortable, confident, I enjoyed this competition a lot and I went out determined to win,” he said.
“The last dive at the end was a risk, I would like to do it again, but that's diving, that's sport; I was confident and sure of what I was going to do, I remain firm in that it was the right decision and that this dive, as I have done before, will give me many victories in the future, I have to work on it and be ambitious and start the cycle again,” he added.
With his ninth individual place, Kevin Berlin, two-time Olympian after Tokyo 2020, agreed that now the efforts of the couple on the platform will be with their eyes set on Los Angeles 2028.
“Now a cycle closes and the road to Los Angeles begins, I know that there is the possibility of a medal and now it is possible in both, I realized that everything is possible,” he shared.
The competition was led by the Chinese Yuan Cao (547.50), the Japanese Rikuto Tamai (507.65) and the British Noah Williams (497.35).
“I really enjoyed this competition and I feel calm and confident. Today I was able to be in an Olympic final and I'll stick with that. You have to give it your all and you know what you're capable of and how much you've worked on day after day,” he said.
With the final of the men's 10-meter platform, the Aquatic Center closes its doors and bids farewell to the diving discipline at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Randal Willars and Kevin Berlin round out the top 10 on the platform at Paris 2024. The young divers placed fifth and ninth among the 12 divers competing for the medals. Credit: CONADE
