Olympics-Diving-China claims top two spots in men's 3m springboard semi-finals
TOKYO (Reuters) - Chinese divers continued to lead the way in the semi-finals for the men's 3 metre springboard diving at the Tokyo Games on Tuesday, after Xie Siyi and Wang Zongyuan produced a series of impressive dives to claim the top two spots.
Xie and Wang, who won the gold medal in the synchronised 3m springboard as team mates last week, were in the top two for the entire competition, and finished with 543.45 and 540.50 points respectively.
One of them could become the first male diver in 20 years to win both individual and synchronised 3m springboard at the same Olympic games after their compatriot Xiong Ni accomplished such a feat at the 2000 Sydney Olympics Games.
Jack Laugher and James Heatly of Britain came third and fourth, while 40-year-old Japanese Ken Terauchi, the diving event's oldest contender, also qualified in the top 12, finishing 7th.
Columbia, which have never won an Olympic medal in diving, exited the competition after Daniel Restrepo Garcia and Sebastian Morales Mendoza didn't make the cut.
The pressure is on for Mexico's Rommel Pacheco Marrufo after his team mate Osmar Olvera Ibarra didn't qualify for the finals -- their country has previously excelled at Olympic diving, its most medal-producing sport in history. The 35-year-old has said in the past that he plans to retire after Tokyo.
The finals will take place later on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Yuki Nitta; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
