Li Shixin of China defended his gold medal in the men's 1-meter springboard on Monday, giving the world's pre-eminent diving power its fourth straight world title.
Li earned 460.95 points through six dives at the Montjuic Municipal pool after rallying back from a sub-par start. Four-time European champion Illya Kvasha of Ukraine took silver with 434.30 points, while Alejandro Chavez of Mexico earned bronze with 431.55. “When I was young, my coach gave me a video about the Olympic Games in 1992. I remember I have a dream I can stand in this pool.
“So today, my dream came true and I won the championship. I feel this pool is amazing,” said Li. “Actually Spain is very lucky for me. Since 2005 I have been here seven times. It's like here is a second home town. In China somebody called me ‘King of Spain’.”
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China has won seven of the last eight world titles in the event and two of the three in diving so far at the World championships.
In the men’s 10km Open water event, Greece's Spyridon Gianniotis made up for missing a medal at the 2012 Olympics when sheer willpower carried him to the line. The 33-year-old attacked on the fourth and final lap around the Catalan city's picturesque Moll de la Fusta port and dug deep in the final metres to hold off a late charge from Thomas Lurz of Germany who came in second.
Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia, who won Saturday's 5km race, faded in the closing stages but just managed to pip France's Damien Cattin-Vidal and Richard Weinberger of Canada to clinch third.
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Gianniotis also becomes only the second man to successfully defend his 10-km gold after Russia's Vladimir Dyatchin in 2008.
The results: Men: 10km Open water swimming: 10km: 1. Spyridon Gianniotis (Gre) 1:49:11.8s, 2. Thomas Lurz (Ger) 1:49:14.5, 3. Oussama Mellouli (Tun) 1:49:19.2.
Diving: 1m springboard: 1. Li Shixin (Chn) 460.95 points, 2. Illya Kvasha (Ukr) 434.30, 3. Kevin Chavez (Mex) 431.55.
Women: 10m synchro platform: 1. Liu Huixia & Chen Ruolin (Chn) 356.28, 2. Meaghan Benfeito & Roseline Filion (Can) 331.41, 3. Pandelela Rinong Pamg & Mun Yee Leong (Mas) 331.14.
Women: Synchronised swimming: Duet Technical: 1. Svetlana Kolesnichenko & Svetlana Romashina (Rus) 97.300 points, 2. Jiang Tingting & Jiang Wenwen (Chn) 94.900, 3. Ona Carbonell & Margalida Crespi (Esp) 93.800. — Agencies