Osmar Olvera (Mexico City, 20 years old) is an extraordinary athlete. The Mexican has won his second medal at the Paris Olympic Games after dazzling in the individual springboard final. The Mexican’s fine and energetic diving helped him to win the bronze medal, behind the unstoppable Chinese Siyi Xie and Zongyuan. Mexico thus adds its fifth medal this summer and surpasses, so far, what the Mexican delegation has achieved in Tokyo 2020.
This Thursday, Olvera gave one of his best performances from the diving board. He did not want to be far from the podium for even a second. In his six dives he set the bar high and wanted to challenge his Chinese rivals for dominance. In the fifth round he recorded one of his best scores in Paris by getting 98.80 out of 100, with an extremely high degree of difficulty (3.8), a scene that will remain in the reel of great Mexican sports memories. China won, but the stands, once again, turned to the Mexican to support him and recognize the achievement he has achieved. It is no wonder after a process full of turbulence due to the lack of financial support from Conade to all aquatic athletes.
Olvera symbolizes the evolution of a high-ranking athlete. At just 12 years old, when he was starting high school, he competed in his first international competition in Russia, finishing fifth. At 17 years old, he had made his debut in his first Olympic Games. In his first experience, he finished in 14th place, far from being able to surprise the judges in Tokyo 2020. He won that Olympic ticket over a diving bigwig, Yahel Castillo. Despite the criticism that overwhelmed the Mexican delegation three years ago, the Mexican diver wanted to improve. He pulled out of the trunk the courage to grow. And boy did he do it.
Mexican Osmar Olvera celebrates winning the bronze medal in the springboard diving final. Julio Múñoz (EFE)
The Mexican diver was under the orders of Chinese coach Ma Jin, who had already worked in Mexico with other outstanding divers such as Rommel Pacheco (winner of a gold medal at a World Championship) and Paola Espinosa (double Olympic medalist). He competed in the Pan American Games in Santiago de Chile with a hunger for glory. He won two golds on his own in the one and three meter springboards. He teamed up with Rodrigo Diego and also took first place. That was the beginning because he traveled to Fukuoka, Japan, for the World Championship where he won two silver medals. His next destination was the World Championship in Doha where he shook the status quo of diving by winning the gold medal, a milestone.
When he landed in Paris 2024, his name was among the Mexican hopes to aspire to the podium. Olvera seemed to have a high degree of confidence, perhaps above the average of his compatriots. Without being arrogant, he insisted that he wanted to make his name proud. He had the confidence. His good moment added to the appetite of Juan Manuel Celaya who wanted to take revenge after a fourth place in Tokyo 2020. In the synchronized event they made a statement: they competed with the Chinese duo for every point that the judges liked. The Mexicans made China’s reign tremble, although the jury swung in favor of the Asians. Apart from that, Mexico won a historic silver medal.
The two medals won by Osmar Olvera are added to the bronze of the trio of Alejandra Valencia, Ana Paula Vázquez and Ángela Ruiz in archery, the silver in judo by Prisca Awiti and the medal won by boxer Marco Verde, who will compete for the gold. Diving gives Mexico its 17th medal and consolidates its position as the king of sports, having won the most Olympic medals in its history. Olvera also enters the records as a double medalist. Since Melbourne 1956, there has not been a Mexican who has won two medals in the same edition. The last were Joaquín Capilla, a hero of diving, and Raúl González in race walking. Today, Olvera has achieved it at just 20 years old.
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