Why was South Korea’s silver in synchronized 3-meter springboard diving notable?

It was South Korea’s best performance in the event since 2002, when the women’s synchronized 3m springboard was first added to the Asian Games in Busan. China has won every gold medal in the event since then.

What other diving medals did South Korea win at the Asian Games on the same weekend?

South Korea also won bronze in the men’s synchronized diving event, where Shin and Kim Yeong-taek scored 375.90 points. Kim Na-hyun had earlier won bronze in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event with Moon Na-hyun.

S. Korea picks up silver, bronze in synchronized diving events

Q: Who won silver in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard diving event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games?

Kim Su-ji and Kim Na-hyun won silver for South Korea. They earned 254.70 points in five attempts at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, finishing behind China and ahead of Malaysia.

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Summary

Kim Su-ji and Kim Na-hyun won silver in the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard diving event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday, giving South Korea its best result in the event since 2002. They scored 254.70 points in Tokyo, behind China’s Chen Yiwen and Chen Jia, who took gold with 328.56 points. Malaysia won bronze, and South Korea also took bronze in the men’s synchronized diving event.

Key Facts

The women’s synchronized 3m springboard event was added to the Asian Games in 2002 in Busan, and China has won every gold medal since then.
Kim Su-ji and Kim Na-hyun scored 254.70 points in five attempts at Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Chen Yiwen and Chen Jia of China won gold with 328.56 points, while Ker Ying Ong and Yiat Qing Lee of Malaysia won bronze with 243.72 points.
Shin and Kim Yeong-taek took bronze in the men’s synchronized event with 375.90 points.
Kim Na-hyun had already won bronze with Moon Na-hyun in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event on Saturday.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 27, 2026 11:36 am KST
Updated Sep 27, 2026 3:34 pm KST

South Korea's Kim Su-ji, right, and Kim Na-hyun pose with their medals after winning silver in the women's synchronized 3m springboard final at the Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday. AP-Yonhap

Kim Su-ji and Kim Na-hyun teamed up for silver in the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard diving event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday, South Korea's best performance in this event since 2002.

The two divers scored 254.70 points in their five attempts at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo, finishing well behind China's Chen Yiwen and Chen Jia, who earned 328.56 points.

Ker Ying Ong and Yiat Qing Lee of Malaysia got the bronze with 243.72 points.

The women's synchronized 3m event was added to the Asian Games in 2002 in the South Korean host city of Busan, and China has won every gold medal since. This was Chen Yiwen's second straight gold.

In that inaugural year, the host country's Kang Min-kyung and Im Sung-young won silver. South Korea was shut out of medals over the next four editions of the Asian Games before Kim Su-ji won bronze with a different partner, Park Ha-reum, in 2023.

Kim Na-hyun has now bagged two medals in her Asian Games debut here, after winning bronze with Moon Na-hyun in the women's synchronized 10m platform event Saturday.

Shin Jung-whi, right, and Kim Yeong-taek of South Korea pose with their medals after winning bronze in men's synchronized 10m springboard final at the Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday. AP-Yonhap

In the men's event, Shin and Kim Yeong-taek scored 375.90 points to finish in third place. Yang Hao and Lian Junjie took the gold with 465.54 points, and Enrique Harold and Elvis Priestly Clement of Malaysia were the silver medalists with 377.52 points.

Kim's older brother, Yeong-nam, won three straight silver medals in this event from 2014 to 2023.

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