China wins four titles in Diving World Series

China's Huo Liang and Lin Yue compete during the men's 10m platform synchronised final at the second leg of four-stop FINA Diving World Series in Changzhou, a city of east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 27, 2009. Huo and Lin claimed the title with a score of 484.92 points. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

China's Wang Han and He Zi compete during the women's 3m synchro springboard final at the second leg of four-stop FINA Diving World Series in Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 27, 2009. Wang Han and He Zi claimed the title of the event with a score of 331.20 points. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Russian veteran Dmitry Sautin competes during the men's 3m springboard final at the second leg of four-stop FINA Diving World Series in Changzhou, a city of east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 27, 2009. Sautin took the bronze medal with a score of 486.25 points. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

China's Chen Ruolin competes during the women's 10m platform final at the second leg of four-stop FINA Diving World Series in Changzhou, a city of east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 27, 2009. Chen claimed the title with a score of 444.05 points. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

CHANGZHOU, Jiangsu Province, March 27 (Xinhua) -- China blitzed to win all the four titles on offer on the first day of the FINA Diving World Series here Friday, while Russian veteran Dmitry Sautin stole the limelight by claiming a bronze medal in the men's three-meter springboard.

Aged at 35, Sautin was the long-time role model for many young divers all over the world. He said he felt tired after the first leg of the World Series in Doha, Qatar last week and he was glad to win a bronze medal in Changzhou.

World and Olympic champion Qin Kai and Zhang Xinhua made a 1-2 Chinese finish in the men's three-meter springboard, and Patrick Hausding of Germany finished fourth.

Sautin, who has won eight Olympic medals in his career, said: "I'm really surprised I can perform like this today. The World Series was my first competition after Beijing Olympic Games in seven months. Last week I didn't enter the final in Doha and now I come back."

Chen Ruolin, winner of the women's 10m platform at the Beijing Games, dominated the tower by finishing 444.05 ahead of Chinese teammate Kang Li in 421.70.

Mexico's Paola Espinosa and Canada's Roseline Filion placed third and fourth respectively.

Chinese young pair He Zi/Wang Han met no challenges in the women's 3m springboard synchronized by taking the gold in 331.20. Briony Cole/Sharleen Stratton of Australia edged Nora Subschinski/Katja Dicckow of Germany by 1.62 points to win the silver in 314.82.

Olympic champions Lin Yue/Huo Liang continued their unbeaten run on the men's platform synchro since they started to compete in the world events in 2006. Lin/Huo led the field in 484.92 while new duo Mccrory Nicholas/Thomas Finchum of the United States came second in 460.50.

"We just started to train synchro for a few weeks. I'm satisfied with the results and more confident that we can do much better in the future," Finchum said.

Four other events - men's 10m platform, men's 3m springboard synchro, women's 3m spring and women's 10m platform synchro - will be contested on Saturday.