China continues diving prowess, open water ends on 13th day at FINA Worlds

Chen Yuxi (L)/Quan Hongchan of China compete during the women's 10m synchronised final of diving at the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, June 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BUDAPEST, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese divers were yet again unstoppable here on Thursday, the 13th day of the 19th FINA World Championships, while open water swimmers ended their challenge with an extra-long 25 km event.

To no one's surprise, Quan Hongchan/Chen Yuxi scored 368.40 points to win the women's 10m platform synchronized, distant front runners ahead of American Delaney Schnell/Katrina Young (299.40) and Nur Dhabitah/Pandelela Pamg of Malaysia (298.68).

Quan was only 14 when she won the Olympic gold of the women's 10m platform in Tokyo, a year younger than her partner Chen, who triumphed in the women's 10m synchronized along with Zhang Jiaqi at Tokyo 2020.

Later in Thursday evening, Chinese diver Wang Zongyuan came out the first diver to have claimed three golds at a worlds after securing the men's 1m springboard title with 493.30 points, followed by Jack Laugher (426.95) of Britain and Australian Li Shixin (395.40).

Wang was still a teenager when he won the Tokyo Olympic gold in the men's 3m synchronized at 19 years old.

The open water swimmers challenged the discipline's longest distance of 25km in the heatwave. The men's race started at 7:00 am local time, ten minutes ahead of the women's, and was won by Dario Verani from Italy with a time of 5:02:21.50.

He beat French swimmer Axel Reymond to the second place in 5:02:22.70, while the bronze medal went to local favorite Peter Galicz in 5:02:35.40. Zhang Jinhou from China finished 18th, with a time of 5:14:04.70.

In the women's race, Brazilian Ana Marcela Cunha, who placed third in the 10km race Wednesday, switched places with Dutch swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal as Cunha triumphed with a time of 5:24:15.00 and Van Rouwendaal earned the bronze in 5:24:15.30. Lea Boy from Germany took the silver in 5:24:15.20.

This aquatic marathon was the last open water event, as Italy topped the medal table, followed by Germany and Brazil. Host Hungarians placed 6th.