SAINT-DENIS, France – After an exhilarating victory over an Indiana University team at the U.S. trials, former Purdue divers Greg Duncan and Tyler Downs were unable to replicate their success at the Paris Olympics. The pair finished eighth in the 3-meter synchronized springboard event last Friday.
The duo started strong, holding third place through the first two dives. However, a crucial miss on their first high-difficulty dive—a forward 2 ½ somersault with two twists—caused them to drop to eighth, where they remained for the rest of the competition.
China’s Wang Zongyuan and Long Daoyi secured the gold medal, marking China’s fifth win in this event across seven Olympics, with a score of 446.10. Mexico’s Juan Celaya and Osmar Olvera claimed the silver with 444.02, while Great Britain’s Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding took bronze with 438.15. Laugher, a seasoned competitor, previously won gold in this event at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Greg Duncan and Tyler Downs, representing the Boilermakers, finished with a score of 346.08, falling 92 points short of a podium finish. At the Olympic Trials in Knoxville, Tennessee, they had narrowly secured their spot by defeating a team led by Andrew Capobianco, the Tokyo 2021 synchro silver medalist, by just 2.37 points.
Despite finishing fourth at the 2023 World Championships—just under four points from a bronze medal—the Purdue pair acknowledges that there’s still much to work on as they look ahead to the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
For more updates on Olympic diving and Purdue athletes, stay tuned to our coverage as we follow their journey towards Los Angeles 2028.
