Esther Qin took to the boards in the Women's 3m Springboard final, the first final for the Australian Diving Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

After the cheers of a history making morning at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre subsided, an eerie hush fell over the venue as the divers in the Women's 3m Springboard final took to the boards. 

For Esther Qin, the Chinese-born Australian, it must have felt like rerun of the Rio final five years ago, sans the green pool. 

At those Games, Qin finished sixth.  

The winner of that competition, Qin's former compatriot Shi Tingmao, lined up again to fight for her fourth Olympic gold - her second of the Tokyo Games. 

Tingmao's first dive, an inward two-and-a-half pike set the tone for her competition.  

Her score of 76.50 propelled her into first place, where she would remain comfortably throughout the competition. Tingmao finished where she started in the pole position with a score of 383.50, 34.75 points ahead of the next best diver. 

Qin didn't have the same luck on the day, faltering on her second dive a forward three-and-a-half pike underrotating and receiving threes from the bulk of the judging panel.  

The deficit was too much to overcome for the 29-year-old who finished the competition in 12th with a score of 261.95, 47.20 points fewer than her semi-final effort. 

Wang Han of China and Krysta Palmer of the United States would go on to join Tingmao on the podium claiming silver and bronze respectively with scores of 348.75 and 343.75.

China has now won the event at every Olympic Games since Seoul 1988. 

For Qin, it was a bittersweet outing. 

"I was happy with how I started and finished but I obviously didn't produce the performance I know I am capable of," Qin said. "But I am proud to have made my second Olympic final in two Games appearances." 

"I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to finally compete in Tokyo and even though I will be heading home to Australia tomorrow I will be watching and cheering for my team-mates who are competing across the rest of this week." 

Australian divers will back on the springboard tomorrow with Shixin Li, a 33-year-old father of three, set to make his Olympic debut in the Men's 3m Springboard preliminary. 

Courtesy Australian Olympic Committee