Hu wins platform for sixth Chinese gold

ATHENS, Aug 28 (Reuters) -- Hu Jia, Olympic silver medallist in 2000, went one better on Saturday to win the men's platform crown on Saturday and bring China six of the eight diving titles at the Athens Games.

Hu pulled off a great final dive which netted him five perfect 10s and 100.98 points, effectively sealing his gold medal with his three biggest rivals still to dive.

Australia's Mathew Helm also pulled out a prodigious final dive, worth 99.96 and with four 10s from the seven judges, to snatch the silver from defending champion Tian Liang by less than a single mark.

"To get this gold medal is my dream. It is what has encouraged me to do hard work for the last four years," Hu, 21, said.

PATCHY TIME

Hu amassed 748.08 points from his four semi-final and six final dives, with world silver medallist Helm taking another silver with 730.56 and world bronze medallist Tian another bronze with 729.66.

World champion Alexandre Despatie of Canada, silver medallist in the three-metre springboard event, had a patchy time in the final and finished fourth with 707.46.

Helm rose to the occasion magnificently to snatch a silver, which he had thought out of his reach, from Tian's grasp.

"I knew going into the last round that I really had to do a good dive to contend for the bronze medal but to walk away and see my name up there as ranked second was an incredible feeling," Helm, who picked up a bronze in the synchronised platform event, said.

Tian said: "I feel quite regretful because I didn't get my second gold medal ... so I'm not fully satisfied with what I achieved today.

"After the second dive I thought I would definitely get the gold medal but this sport is such a charming event," he smiled.

"You can't be sure, so in the end I lost this second gold medal. It's still not easy for me to accept this fact."

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