Rising sophomore Kristian Ipsen won a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the men’s synchronized diving 3-meter springboard event with partner Troy Dumais on Wednesday.

The U.S. duo finished with 446.70 points, good enough for third place behind China’s Luo Yutong and Qin Kai, who struck gold with 477 points, and Russia’s Zakharov Ilya and Kuznetsov Evgeny, who took silver with 459.63 points.

Ipsen and Dumais got off to a slow start when an 8.6 dive average on a lower degree of difficulty left them in seventh place after the first dive. However, the pair gradually climbed up to fourth by the halfway point of the event and vaulted into second when they collected 90.09 points on a crucial fourth dive. They were unable to hold off the Russian duo on the last two dives and fell back down to third as the event concluded.

Ipsen, widely touted as an upcoming U.S. diving star, competed in his first Olympics. For Duamis, London is his fourth Olympics, but it also marks the first time that he has managed to win an Olympic medal. Despite their difference gap in experience, the pair was successful in major competition prior to the Olympics, winning the 3-meter springboard event at the 2011 U.S. National Championships and taking silver at the same event at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships.

During the 2011-2012 collegiate season, Ipsen captured the NCAA title in the individual 3-meter springboard event and finished second on the 1-meter springboard. Ipsen became the first Stanford diver in 82 years to win an event at the NCAA championship. He also went undefeated in dual meet competition.