The Chinese table tennis squad pose for a photo after the women's team final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)
With three days of Olympic competition remaining, China won a gold each in diving and table tennis on Thursday to stay on the top of the gold medal table.
TOKYO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- China continued its gold rush in diving and table tennis on Thursday to hold on its grip of the top positon on the medal table at the Tokyo Olympics with 34 golds, three days before the closing of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
China leads the medal count with 34 golds, 24 silvers and 16 bronze. The United States has the most number of medals with 91, but its gold tally is five behind China. Japan sits third with 22 golds, 10 silvers and 14 bronze.
Quan Hongchan of China competes during the women's 10m platform final of diving at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Xu)
14-year-old sensation Quan Hongchan, the youngest athlete representing China at Tokyo 2020, claimed her first gold medal with an overwhelming victory in the women's 10m platform event.
Quan collected full marks in three out of five dives as China made a 1-2 finish. Quan took the title with 466.20 points, followed by her teammate Chen Yuxi with 425.40 points.
Quan is the second youngest Olympic champion in diving after Fu Mingxia, who won the women's 10m platform at Barcelona 1992 at the age of 13. But Quan shrugged off the viewpoint deeming her a diving prodigy.
"I don't do well in my studies. You ask me all these questions and there's only a blank in my mind," she joked.
China has won the women's 10m platform events eight times, and swept all the four women's diving golds at the Tokyo Olympics.
Chen Meng (L), Sun Yingsha (C) and Wang Manyu of China celebrate during the awarding ceremony for the table tennis women's team event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)
China's invincible women's table tennis team claimed their fourth consecutive Olympic title after a 3-0 whitewash of arch-rivals Japan.
Chen Meng and Wang Manyu came back from one set down to get past Kasumi Ishikawa and Miu Hirano 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7.
After their singles semifinals, Sun Yingsha once again upset local hopeful Mima Ito 11-8, 11-5, 3-11, 11-3.
Wang secured China's title with an 11-5, 11-9, 11-3 win against Hirano.
Pedro Pichardo of Portugal celebrates after the men's triple jump final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
In athletics, Pedro Pichardo of Portugal leapt to an outright victory in the men's triple jump while Zhu Yaming gave China a historical silver medal.
Pichardo only succeeded in his first three attempts, 17.61 meters for the first two and 17.98m in the third, but the accomplished results already assured him of the title.
Zhu placed second with a personal best jump of 17.57 meters, the best ever result for China in the event at the Olympic Games.
Wu Zhiqiang (L) of China competes during the men's 4x100m heat at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Jia Yuchen)
Another historic moment for China's athletics team came in the 4X100m relay, where the country's women's and men's 4X100m relay squads made it to the finals for the first time at the same Olympic Games.
China's women's team finished third in the heats as Liang Xiaojing, Ge Manqi, Huang Guifen and Wei Yongli clocked 42.82 seconds, making to the final for the first time since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Men's 100m finalist Su Bingtian led the 4X100m squad with Xie Zhenye, Tang Xingqiang and Wu Zhiqiang, and they won the heat at 37.92 seconds, second best among the eight finalists, only behind Jamaica.
The United States' men's team failed to qualify to the final as they ranked a disappointing sixth in the heat.
Jamaican hurdler Hansle Parchment pulled off a surprise victory in the men's 110m hurdles final in 13.04 seconds, edging favorite Grant Holloway of the United States into second place in 13.09. Ronald Levy of Jamaica won bronze with 13.10.
World record holder Ryan Crouser of the United States won the men's shot put. The American led all the way, and threw 23.30 meters in his sixth attempt, an Olympic record.
New Zealand's Lisa Carrington claimed her third gold medal at Tokyo 2020 by winning the women's kayak single 500m.
After winning the women's kayak double 500m and women's kayak single 200m, the 32-year-old veteran continued the momentum by opening up a lead from the very beginning and eventually winning her third gold in 1:51.216.
Nevin Harrison of the United States, 19, became the third female paddler to win an Olympic gold medal as a teenager by dominating women's canoe single 200m.
Australian skater Keagan Palmer triumphed in the men's park, winning the last skateboarding gold on offer in the sport's Olympic debut.
This is the first Olympic skateboarding gold for Australia at Tokyo 2020, after all previous three were taken by local favorites.
Devin Booker (R) of the United States competes during the men's basketball semifinal between the United States and Australia at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Saitama, Japan, Aug. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)
In basketball, the United States moved to just one step away from its fourth consecutive crown after downing Australia 97-78. In the other semifinal, Luka Doncic completed a triple-double - 16 points, 10 rebounds and 18 assists but it was not enough to prevent Slovenia from losing 90-89 to France.
The U.S. and France will meet again in Saturday's final. France won their last head-to-head 83-76 in the group opener.
Organizers announced that women's football final between Sweden and Canada on Friday has been rescheduled to 9 p.m. local time due to concern over weather conditions.
"In order to continue to provide the best possible conditions for the players, and having taken into consideration the impact of weather conditions at the Olympic Stadium over the last few days, it has been confirmed that this match will now take place at 21:00 at the International Stadium Yokohama," read a Tokyo 2020 statement.
