Golden record for Wu

China's diving diva claims sixth world title in synchronized event

China's Wu Minxia claimed a record sixth gold medal in the 3m synchronized diving event at the FINA world championships in Barcelona on Saturday.

Olympic and world champion Wu partnered with Shi Tingmao as the pair piled up 338.40 points.

Italy took silver, courtesy of 307.80 points for Tania Cagnotto and Francesca Dellape, while Canadian pair Jennifer Abel and Pamela Ware took bronze with 292.08 points.

The Chinese result served warning they intend to emulate the 10 golds they managed in the 2011 championships back home in Shanghai.

For Wu it was a record sixth world 3m synchronized springboard title while the triumph was China's seventh in the event.

Wu and 1m springboard world titleholder Shi were far too strong as they brushed off a bold challenge from recently crowned European champions Cagnotto and Dallape, who actually led after the opening round before the favorites underlined their top status at Montjuic Municipal Pool.

In all, Wu now has amassed 13 world championships diving medals, seven of them golds.

"These are my seventh world championships, but this time I have a new partner," said Wu.

"This gold medal proves that our effort paid off. I am now the leader of the group, and I can bring them my experience."

Despite also winning gold in the event at three successive Olympics - 2004, 2008 and 2012 - the 27-year-old said she is not thinking about retirement.

"I know that most girls at my age normally think about other things in life, like having a family. I need more time to think about that," said Wu, who also collected 2012 Olympic gold in the 3m springboard.

Wu won the first four of her 3m 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.

The only time China failed to win the women's 3m synchro world title was in 1998, the year the event was introduced, when Russia's Irina Lashko and Yulia Pakhalina triumphed in Perth, Australia.

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

China's Huang Xuechen finished second with 95.5 points after the technical solo final in the synchronized swimming competition, matching her silver medal from Shanghai two years ago.

Russia's Svetlana Romashina won her first solo synchronized championship gold after scoring 96.8 points with a powerful routine at the Palau Sant Jordi.

Local favorite Ona Carbonell of Spain took bronze with 94.4 points.

In open water swimming, Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli added the 5km world title to his 10km Olympic crown.

American Haley Danita Anderson won a photo finish to claim gold in the women's 5km event to improve on the silver medal she gained at the Olympics in London last year.

It was a second world title for Mellouli, who also triumphed at the 1,500m in the pool in Rome in 2009.

He beat Canadian Eric Hedlin into silver, with Germany's Thomas Lurz winning bronze.

"Honestly, this was just as painful as the 10km," Mellouli said.

"The changes of pace, the buoys, it was tough but I am very happy."

Anderson edged Brazilian Poliana Okimoto by just two tenths of a second with Ana Marcela Cunha, the current 25km world champion, also from Brazil, third.