China wins 9th gold

pulse

July 17, 2017 6:31 PM

World champion and Olympic title holder Shi Tingmao with partner Chang Yani won China's ninth gold in a row in the women's 3-metre springboard synchro competition at the world aquatics championships in Budapest on Monday.

China's Chang Yani and Shi Tingmao pose with their gold medal for the women's 3m springboard synchro final during the diving competition at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, on July 17, 2017

World champion and Olympic title holder

"Of course I am very happy to defend my title in this event, and being able to reach it with a new partner," said Shi who scored 333.30 points together with 15-year-old partner Chang.

"I really wanted to see (Chang) as a world champion, I tried to help her, because I saw her being stressed, but fortunately we put up a good performance," she said.

Canada's Melissa Citrini Beaulieu and Jennifer Abel came second with 323.43 points in their first year as a team.

Abel's silver made her the first non-Chinese diver to claim a medal in this event at four consecutive world meets.

"If we can manage (to stay together), we still have the chance to progress and earn additional medals for sure," Abel said.

In third with 312.60 points were Kristina Ilinykh and Nadezhda Bazhina from Russia, the last country apart from China to win gold at the event, when it debuted at the world championships in 1998.

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