updated 3:08 a.m. ET Aug. 29, 2004

ATHENS, Greece - Chinese divers dominated again at these Olympics, winning a record six gold medals, so it was fitting that in the last event they were left to compete against themselves.

Hu Jia overtook teammate Tian Liang on his next-to-last dive to win the 10-meter platform title Saturday night.

Hu totaled 748.08 points to upset defending champion Tian. Mathew Helm of Australia edged Tian for silver by 0.90 points, finishing with 730.56 to Tian’s 729.66. World champion Alexandre Despatie of Canada was fourth with 707.46.

Hu’s victory means China won all but two of the eight diving events in Athens. One of the golds belongs to Tian, who took the synchronized platform title with partner Yang Jinghui.

“To get six golds is quite satisfying,” Tian said. “Of course, in Beijing we’ll try to do our best to get all eight.”

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Hu got out of water and threw his arms in the air, realizing he had clinched the gold. He had earned platform silver behind Tian at the Sydney Games.

Tian battled his teammate hard in the fifth round, earning three 10s for an inward tuck with 3½ somersaults. But Hu was even better. He surged past Tian into first by earning four perfect 10.0s for a reverse tuck with 3½ somersaults.

Hu was even stronger on his last dive, a backward pike with 2½ somersaults and 1½ twists that scored five 10s.

“I’m quite happy to get this gold medal. I’m not yet that excited because I don’t think it has sunk in yet,” Hu said. “To get this gold medal is my dream. That’s what encouraged me to do all the hard work the last four years.”

Helm was third for much of the competition and needed to hit his last dive to break up the Chinese blockade. The Aussie came up big, earning four 10s for a backward pike with 2½ somersaults and 1½ twists. He held up two fingers in disbelief, then buried his face in his hands.

“I definitely didn’t think I would get a silver,” Helm said. “I knew going into the last round that I needed a really good dive for the bronze. When I walked away and saw the ‘2’ next to my name, it was an incredible feeling.”

Despatie, who had earned silver in the 3-meter springboard, dropped into fourth place after his fourth dive on the platform and stayed there. The shaggy-haired 19-year-old over-rotated on a backward pike with 3½ somersaults — his second-most difficult dive of the competition.

The judges were generous in awarding 10.0s Saturday night, with all the top four divers getting multiple perfect marks — just as they did in the semifinals.

The Chinese took the top two spots in women’s 3-meter springboard; won men’s springboard; won women’s synchronized 3-meter and 10-meter; and won men’s synchronized 10-meter.

They finished second in women’s platform, and in a rare miscue finished last in men’s synchronized 3-meter.

The Chinese became a diving powerhouse after winning their first gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. They have now captured 19 of a possible 28 golds over the last five Olympics — and taken the silver in seven of the nine events they didn’t win.

“Obviously, they train very, very hard. Their system is working very good for them,” Despatie said. “They have so many athletes, too. If someone isn’t good, they just choose another one.”

The pool of talented divers doesn’t show any signs of letting up in the world’s most populous country, especially as China looks ahead to the Beijing Games in 2008.

“We might get someone good who comes along every 10 years,” Despatie said. “They get people with a lot of talent, and they get that every year.”

Despatie is likely to face the Chinese again in 2008. Hu seems a solid bet to return, and Tian, who turned 25 on Friday, said he has a strong urge to return.

“When I first got into the sport, the Chinese were like gods,” Despatie said. “No one could touch them. They were awesome.”

They still are.

Diving - Men's Platform (medals: Aug. 28th) Medal Athlete Country Result Gold Hu Jia China 748.08 Silver Mathew Helm Australia 730.56 Bronze Tian Liang China 729.66 NBCO: Schedules, preliminary result and complete final results

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