Cueva twins claim historic gold at Zapopan Diving Cup, defeating China for first time
Fourteen-year-old twin divers Mía and Lía Cueva Lobato made history at the Zapopan Diving Cup, defeating Chinese partners Shan Lin and Yiping Long to win gold in the synchronized 3-meter springboard final. The victory, achieved between July 16 and 19, marked the first time the Jalisco natives had beaten Chinese competitors in international competition.
The triumph holds particular significance given China's dominance in the sport. Over the past three world championships from 2017 to 2024, Chinese divers have claimed 37 of 39 gold medals at both Olympics and world championships. The Cueva twins' victory signals a potential shift in the competitive landscape as they continue their development in the sport.
"I felt very happy," said Lía Cueva after receiving her gold medal. "It's the first time we've beaten the Chinese, and it gives us a lot of motivation to do it again at the Olympic Games."
"We know we still have a lot of work to do, but I'm convinced that we will continue training very hard so that results like this become more and more frequent and visible," added Mía Cueva. "They can expect us at the Olympic Games."
The twins' ambitions come as Mexico seeks to reclaim its historic diving glory. The nation has medaled 16 times in Olympic diving history, including at every Summer Olympics since Beijing 2008. However, Mexico's last Olympic gold medal in diving came 70 years ago, when Joaquín Capilla won the men's 10-meter platform event at the Melbourne 1956 Olympics.
The Cueva twins competed at the Metropolitan Aquatic Center in Zapopan, Mexico's national diving training hub. The venue, located in the Guadalajara metropolitan area, has hosted the 2011 Pan-American Games and numerous national diving championships. Guadalajara itself serves as the home training base for several of Mexico's Olympic medalists, including Gabriela Agúndez, Paola Espinosa, Iván García, Álvaro Gaxiola, Alejandra Orozco, and Germán Sánchez.
Mexico finished the Zapopan Diving Cup with 10 medals total: three gold, four silver, and three bronze. The twins' gold was preceded by their silver medal performance at the World Aquatics Diving World Cup in Guadalajara in April 2025, where they finished second in the women's 3-meter synchronized springboard final. That event marked Mexico's return to hosting World Aquatics competitions after more than a decade.
Strong showing across multiple events
Mexican divers Randal Willars and Kevin Berlín delivered another standout performance in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform, defeating teams from Great Britain and Colombia to claim gold with a score of 414.72 points. Willars, a Youth Olympic Games gold medalist from Buenos Aires 2018, and Berlín previously competed together at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the same event, finishing in fourth place.
In the women's 10-meter platform event, Mexico's Suri Cueva took the silver medal with 303.10 points, while Samantha Jiménez earned bronze with 302.15 points. China's Zhixin Qu took first place with 369.40 points. Mexico's Rut Páez and Yunuen Parra finished in fourth place in the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard event.
Preparing for regional and global competitions
The competition served as crucial preparation for the Santo Domingo 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, scheduled for July 24 to August 8. The games mark both the 25th edition of the event and the 100th anniversary since the inaugural games were held. The Santo Domingo competition will feature 37 countries competing across 40 sports and 483 events, serving as a key preparation milestone for athletes aiming to compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
On Monday, President Sheinbaum presided over an official send-off for more than 600 Mexican athletes who will compete across disciplines including diving, archery, gymnastics, and boxing at the upcoming regional games.
