NBC Olympics.com – The Time
The women's individual 3m springboard event spans three days and begins on Friday, Aug. 12:
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Preliminary -- 2:30pm ET on Frdiay, Aug. 12
Semifinal -- 3pm ET on Saturday, Aug. 13
Final -- 3pm ET on Sunday, Aug. 14
The Format
Individual Olympic diving events consist of a preliminary round, a semifinal and a final split over multiple days.
Each diver performs five different optional dives in each round. There is no limit to the total degree of difficulty, but all five groups of dives -- forward, backward, reverse, inward and twisting -- must be represented at least once. Scores do not carry over from round to round.
The top 18 competitors in the preliminary round move on to the semifinal and compete in reverse order. If there is a tie for 18th, both divers advance.
In the semifinal, the top 12 divers advance to the final and compete in reverse order based on point total.
Medals are awarded to the three divers with the highest score in the final round.
The Odds
Shi Tingmao (CHN) -- 20/37
He Zi (CHN) -- 7/5
Jennifer Abel (CAN) -- 10/1
Tania Cagnotto (ITA) -- 14/1
Maddison Keeney (AUS) -- 25/1
Esther Qin (AUS) -- 33/1
Cheong Jun Hoong (MAS) -- 40/1
Kassidy Cook (USA) -- 40/1
Pamela Ware (CAN) -- 50/1
Rebecca Gallantree (GBR) -- 100/1
Kristina Ilinykh (RUS) -- 100/1
Anastasiia Nedobiga (UKR) -- 100/1
Dolores Hernández (MEX) -- 100/1
Grace Reid (GBR) -- 100/1
Olena Fedorova (UKR) -- 100/1
Maria Marconi (ITA) -- 125/1
Uschi Freitag (NED) -- 125/1
Juliana Veloso (BRA) -- 125/1
Melany Hernandez (MEX) -- 150/1
Tina Punzel (GER) -- 150/1
Julia Vincent (RSA) -- 150/1
Ng Yan Yee (MAS) -- 200/1
Odds courtesy betting website Bovada.lv.
The Americans
Kassidy Cook (21)
Abby Johnson (26)
The Key Storylines
China has won the women's individual 3m springboard event at every Olympics since 1988 -- seven straight victories. Unless either of China's two competitors (He Zi and Shi Tingmao) falter, the real competition will be for bronze.
The Reigning Medalists
2012 gold -- China's Wu Minxia
2012 silver -- China's He Zi
2012 bronze -- Mexico's Laura Sanchez