Tuesday, October 24, 2023.- The Aquatic Center at the Estadio Nacional was dressed up for the presentation of Krysta Palmer, an Olympic medalist at Tokyo 2020 and one of the key figures on the United States diving team at the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023.

However, the one who shone the most in the 3m springboard qualifying stage was the Mexican Arantxa Chávez, who won synchronized diving a decade ago at the Central American and Caribbean Games. At 32 years old, she displayed the best of her repertoire in the pool at the Centro de Deportes Acuáticos in Ñuñoa.

Chávez achieved the highest score in the three final dives (back 2.5 somersault tuck, forward 3.5 somersault tuck, and front double 2.5 somersault with one twist) to surpass Palmer and lead the qualification round, which will feature two representatives from Mexico, the United States, Canada, Cuba, and Colombia, and one from Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

“I did very well in the qualification round, I finished in first place. It's a good indicator to use in the final to improve my scores because the Americans and Canadians are coming in strong. That motivates me to continue refining my dives and focus on winning the medal. Mexico has performed really well in diving, so we want to do the same in the female's three-meter springboard," Chávez expressed at the end of the morning session.

Facing the medal competition, scheduled for tonight at 8:55 p.m. in Chile, the veteran acknowledged that “the level has increased with the changing of generations because the young athletes want to catch up to the veterans, and the experienced ones don't let the younger ones get too far ahead.'"

Written by Nicolás Olea y Patricio Cabello; translated by Pía Barriga | Photosport
Photo: Daniel Apuy / Santiago 2023 via Photosport