Openly gay Aussie diver
prevents China Olympic sweep

BEIJING (AP) - Matthew Mitcham of Australia, earning four perfect 10s on his last dive, won the men’s 10-meter platform in a recent upset that prevented China from sweeping the eight Olympic diving gold medals.

Mitcham totaled 537.95 points in the six-dive final, edging Zhou Luxin of China by 4.80 points and sending the platform title Down Under for the first time. He’s the first Aussie man since 1924 to win a diving gold, and just the third Aussie ever.

“My cheeks hurt from smiling, my face hurts from the chlorine, my legs are sore from jumping up and down,” Mitcham said. “I’m in pain and I’m tired, but I’m so happy.

“I thought maybe I could have gotten the bronze or silver medal. In my wildest dreams, I got the gold medal.”

The Aussie hit the toughest dive anyone did all night - a backward 2-1/2 somersault with 2-1/2 twists - for 112.10 points, including four 10s.

Mitcham showed early in the final that he could challenge the Chinese. His backward 3-1/2 somersault earned four 10s, causing the Aussie to clasp his hands to his mouth in disbelief.

“I went into the competition just wanting to do six good dives,” he said. “I knew if I dived well the results would look after themselves. Look where I am.”

Chantelle Newbery won Australia’s last diving gold, on women’s platform in 2004. The country’s only other gold came in 1924, when Richmond Eve won men’s plain high diving, an event that was subsequently dropped from the Olympics.

Mitcham is the first openly gay Australian to compete in the Olympics. The Australian press found out he was gay when he applied for financial aide to help pay for his boyfriend to join him in Beijing for the Games.