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Qin dives past Despatie for China's sixth gold medal

China's Qin Kai dives to a gold medal during the men's 3m springboard diving at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday. PHOTO: EPA

Even a string of perfect 10s couldn't keep China from another diving gold medal.

Qin Kai defeated defending champion Alexandre Despatie on the men's 3m springboard yesterday, giving the Chinese their sixth victory at the world championships.

Qin earned two 10s on his final dive, having taken the lead from teammate He Chong after two rounds. Qin finished with 545.35 points.

Qin climbed out of the pool, did his traditional bow to the crowd and pumped his right fist knowing he had claimed his second gold in Melbourne.

Qin and Wang Feng won the 3m synchronized title.

Despatie, who swept the 1m and 3m titles in Montreal two years ago, couldn't make up enough points on his last dive. He edged Russia's Dmitry Sautin by 1.58 points for the silver.

Sautin, the old man of the competition at 33, received 10s from all seven judges on his fifth dive, a reverse somersault from the pike position. He threw his arms in the air while most of the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

But Qin was already too far ahead and even perfection didn't budge Sautin higher than third, where he had been lodged since the fourth round.

He Chong, the 1m silver medalist here, saved the hardest dive of the final for last -- a forward somersault with three twists. His marks ranged from 7.5 to 9.0, but it wasn't enough to make up for badly missing his fourth dive. He ended up sixth.

Meanwhile, Russia continued its domination in synchronized swimming when Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova won the duet free. It was Russia's fifth gold in six events.

Davydova and Ermakova finished with 99.333 points, well ahead of the Spanish team of Gemma Civil Mengual and Paola Sanchez Tirados, who had 97.667. Japan's Ayako Matsumura and Emiko Suzuki took the bronze.

The two Russians also won the duet technical on Tuesday, with Spain and Japan also second and third. Synchronized swimming ends today with the team free in which Russia is again heavily favored.

In women's water polo, Russia downed Spain 12-7, Australia trounced Brazil 11-3, the US edged Greece 8-6 and Italy thrashed New Zealand 21-9 to top their groups and advance to next Tuesday's quarter-finals.

The second and third place-getters from each group advance to a second-round playoff tomorrow for a chance to book a berth in the final eight.

also see story:
He wins China's fifth gold medal

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