Four-time Olympic champion Chen Ruolin and partner Liu Huixia scored a total of 345.36 points to secure the women's 10 metres synchronised crown.

The reigning world champions finished 25.08 points ahead of Malaysian pair Mun Yee Leong and Jun Hoong Cheong and a further 9.42 clear of Canadian duo Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion.

"The victory is a good start of the year for me," said the 22-year-old Chen.

"I will try my best to earn a ticket for the Rio [2016] Olympics at the Kazan World Championships in July."

Meanwhile, in the equivalent men's event, Beijing 2008 Olympic champion Lin Yue overcame a bout of sickness to snatch the gold medal alongside new partner Chen Aisen.

A score of 486.75 points bettered that of Germany's Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein, who finished second with 410.28, and Mexico's Ivan Garcia and German Sanchez, who took the bronze medal with 393.39.

"To be honest, it is not a pleasant experience to compete with a high fever," said Lin.

"I felt bad and dizzy during the competition.

"I could hardly stand solid on the platform.

"But it is competition; I need to challenge myself and try my best with a fighting spirit."

Lin Yue (pictured) overcame a bout of sickness to snatch the gold medal alongside new partner Chen Aisen at the FINA Diving World Series at the Water Cube in Beijing
©Getty Images




Wu Minxia and Shi Tingmao scored 328.50 points in the women's 3m synchronised to comfortably stave off the challenge of Australia's Maddison Keeney and Annabelle Smith, second with 299.55, and Great Britain's Alicia Blagg and Rebecca Gallantree, third with 293.40.

A perfect day for China was capped off when Qin Kai and Cao Yuan scored 442.41 points in the men's 3m synchronised to top the podium ahead of Russia's Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilia Zakharov on 417.30 and Germany's Hausding and Stephan Feck on 406.29.

A total 73 divers from 12 countries are competing in the three-day event, the first of six legs in the FINA Diving World Series calendar. 

After the competition concludes on Sunday (March 15), the tour will then move on to Dubai, United Arab Emirates from March 19 to 21, before events in Kazan from April 24 to 26; London, from May 1 to 3; Windsor, Canada, from May 22 to 24; and Merida, Mexico, from May 29 to 31.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
April 2014: Four diving gold medals for China on first day of World Series in London