updated 11:38 a.m. ET Aug. 23, 2004

ATHENS, Greece - Turns out the Australians are pretty good divers, too.

The country known for its swimming superstars pulled an upset on the women’s 10-meter platform, winning its first Olympic diving gold medal in 80 years.

Chantelle Newbery finished first and teammate Loudy Tourky earned the bronze Sunday night, with China’s Lao Lishi breaking up the Aussie domination by taking silver.

“This is a monumental moment for Australian diving,” team manager Julie Kent said.

Australia’s only other gold medal in diving was won by Richmond Eve at the 1924 Paris Games in men’s plain high diving, the last time that event was contested at the Olympics.

“I just think this is amazing to have two Aussies on the medal dais,” Tourky said. “This sport is usually dominated by the Chinese.”

The Australians benefited, however, from the expertise of their two Chinese coaches.

“They are doing better and better,” Lao said. “Maybe they are learning.”

Newbery won with 590.31 points, Lao totaled 576.30 points and Tourky had 561.66.

The Aussie contingent at the indoor pool waved flags and plastic kangaroos when the final standings were posted.

“I’m just rapt,” Newbery said. “I just can’t believe the way it all turned out.”

Emilie Heymans of Canada, the current world champion, was fourth with 555.03. American Laura Wilkinson, the defending Olympic champion, finished fifth with 549.72.

“I’m a little bummed,” Wilkinson said. “I thought it was going to be like Sydney. It wasn’t, but I’m OK with that.”

Four years ago, Wilkinson rallied from fifth place to win gold, taking advantage when those ahead of her botched their dives. She was the first American since 1964 to win the 10-meter title.

The Aussies benefited when Lao dropped from first to fourth on her second dive. Li Ting went from fifth at the start to third, then dropped three places and stayed there.

Newbery finished strongly, hitting a backward pike 2½ somersault with 1½ twists that earned the second-highest score of the five-dive final. She climbed out of the pool, smiled and waved.

“I was very scared,” she said, “but I knew that I had it in me to do a good dive. My last dive is my best dive.”

It was the 27-year-old Aussie’s second medal of the Athens Games. She and teammate Irina Lashko earned bronze in 3-meter synchronized diving Aug. 14.

Newbery, of Melbourne, is married to Robert Newbery, who won bronze in synchronized 10-meter platform in Athens. He watched the final in the athletes’ village because he will compete Monday in 3-meter springboard preliminaries.

The couple moved up their wedding plans so they could dive under the same name in Athens.

Their 2½-year-old son, Jet, is staying with his grandparents in Brisbane, but he’s not far from his mother’s mind.

“This morning I woke up and thought ‘This better be worth it,”’ she said. “I just want to get home and think about seeing my son because I’ve really, really missed him. He’s at the tantrum age — he’s great.”

Tourky led the third round until she couldn’t hold her handstand on the platform. She completed her dive, but was penalized two points and dropped to third.

“Being upside down, backwards, 10 meters up, can be quite nerve-wracking, but actually I’m happy with the way that dive went,” she said.

Wilkinson, of Spring, Texas, was 0.21 points out of a bronze medal after three rounds, but underrotated on her fourth dive, causing her legs to smack the water.

“I really wanted to hit that dive,” she said. “I had a great takeoff. I found my spots. I just came out a little early, but I gave it all that I had.”

Said U.S. coach Ken Armstrong, “If she comes out a little later, she would have been where she was in Sydney.”

Wilkinson then slightly overrotated on her final dive, earning marks ranging from 6.5 to 8.0. She hugged Armstrong and smiled weakly, realizing she would not be on the medals podium again.

Lao, a 16-year-old competing in her first Olympics, was trying to return the gold medal to China. The country had won four straight women’s platform titles until Wilkinson’s stunning victory four years ago.

“The first dive wasn’t perfect, but in total it went well,” she said.

Her 17-year-old teammate, Li, made a late push, but finished sixth with 546.48 points.

Sara Hildebrand of St. Paul, Minn., never moved out of 10th place among 12 finalists, ending up with 484.77 points.

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