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SYDNEY, Australia -- Upon winning two more golds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Chinese diver Fu Mingxia decided to hang up her suit -- at the tender age of 18.

Two years ago, however, she regained the itch and began her comeback. No longer the dominant diver in the world, she was still formidable. Entering Thursday night's three-meter springboard final, Fu trailed teammate Guo Jingjing by 8.4 points through five semifinal dives. Guo maintained her lead through the evening's first two attempts, then nearly surrendered it on the third when Fu nailed her back 2 1/2 somersault in a pike position. However, the New Zealand judge inexplicably gave her a 5.5, keeping her in second.

Fu had momentum, though, and she passed Guo on her fourth dive of the final -- and ninth overall -- doing a reverse 2 1/2 somersault in a pike position to go up by 1.68 points.

And when Guo sputtered slightly on her final attempt, an inward 2 1/2 somersault in a pike position, Fu was there to grab yet another gold, her fourth overall, tying Americans Pat McCormick and Greg Louganis for most by a diver in Olympic history.