Wu Minxia wins record sixth world synchro title

BARCELONA - Wu Minxia won an unprecedented sixth world three-metre springboard synchro title when she and partner Shi Tingmao secured China's seventh straight triumph in the event at the world championships in Barcelona on Saturday.

Wu, the Olympic champion in both individual and synchro, and Shi, the one-metre springboard world champion, scored 338.40 points from their five dives to clinch victory by more than 30 from European champions Tania Cagnotto and Francesca Dallape of Italy on 307.80.

Jennifer Abel and Pamela Ware of Canada took bronze at the spectacular hill-top Montjuic Municipal Pool, which affords stunning views over the Catalan capital, with 292.08.

"These are my seventh world championships but this time I have a new partner with whom I am training since the end of 2012," Wu, who competed in the 2003 edition held in the same Spanish city, told reporters.

"I am now the leader of the group and I can bring them my experience," she added.

She hinted there could be more medals to come and that she was not yet thinking about retiring.

"I know that most girls at my age normally think about other things in life, like forming a family and having children," she said. "I need more time to think about that."

Wu won the first four of her three-metres synchro world titles with Guo Jingjing, who retired after winning 10 world championship golds and four Olympic golds.

The fifth was in 2011 with He Zi, with whom she won gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and she now has a total of 13 world championship diving medals.

The only time China failed to win the women's three-metres synchro world title was in 1998, the year the event was introduced, with Russia's Irina Lashko and Yulia Pakhalina triumphing in Perth, Australia.

Guo won the 2005 title with Ting Li in place of Wu.