Cao Yuan and Wang Zongyuan compete during the men's diving 3-meter synchro springboard final in Budapest, Hungary, on June 26, 2022. Photo: VCG

Chinese Cao Yuan and Wang Zongyuan won the men's 3-meter synchronized final on the ninth competition day of the 19th FINA World Championships on Sunday.

Cao/Wang received a total of 459.18 points, ahead of Jack Laugher/Anthony Harding from Britain (451.71) and Lars Rudiger/Timo Barthel from Germany (406.44).

The 20-year-old Wang is already an Olympic champion. He won the gold at the Tokyo Games in the same discipline paired with Xie Siyi.

Cao, 27, who won the 3-meter springboard at the Rio Olympics in 2016, claimed an individual gold of the 10-meter platform but missed the title in the 10m synchronized in Tokyo.

Also a 3-meter synchronized world champion respectively pairing with Qin Kai and Xie in the 2015 and 2019 worlds, Cao's partnership in this event with Wang started last December.

"It's my honor to win the first gold for the Chinese diving team here in Budapest. But actually I'm not very satisfied with the final attempt. It could have been better with higher points if I stayed more focused," Cao told Xinhua following his victory.

"I've won the World Championships golds in 3-meter synchro for three times and every time it feels different with different partners. As a veteran, it's not easy to keep the best form. I need to catch up with the tempo with the younger ones in the team to keep good quality of training." 

"I'm pretty happy with the result today. This is my first international event after winning the Olympic gold. And it's my first time to compete in the synchro diving in World Championships. The gold means a lot to me. A little bit of pity in the final attempt, but anyway, we can do better next time," Wang explained.

Gold medal winners Cao Yuan (left) and Wang Zongyuan pose during the medal ceremony in Budapest, Hungary, on June 26, 2022. Photo: VCG

China has finished no lower than second on the podium of the men's 3-meter springboard synchronized event while taking nine of the 11 golds so far on offer. 

The only two years they failed to win gold, they picked up silver: Wang Tianling/Wang Feng (2003) and Cao Yuan/Xie Siyi (2017), both losing to the Russians. 

And only Chinese divers have won multiple gold medals in this event at the world championships: Qin Kai (5), Wang Feng (3), Cao Yuan (2) and He Chong (2). 

Also on Sunday, American Justin Ress won gold in the 50-meter backstroke in dramatic circumstances at the world championships in Budapest on Saturday after officials overturned his initial disqualification following a lengthy review.

Victory was earlier awarded to compatriot Hunter Armstrong after it was ruled that no part of Ress' body was above the water as he reached first for the wall.

Ress, who had set the pace in the heats and the semifinals, was later reinstated as the winner and the medal ceremony held again, with Armstrong taking silver and Polish teenager Ksawery Masiuk having to settle for bronze.

Canadian Summer McIntosh continued her superb run in the Hungarian capital after the 15-year-old beat fellow teen Katie Grimes of the United States to collect the 400 meters medley title. US swimmer Emma Weyant came a distant third.

"It's really cool to race someone like Katie as she is around my age and she's a really tough competitor," said McIntosh. "So I'm looking forward to racing her and keep pushing myself."

Gregorio Paltrinieri, gold medallist at the Rio Olympics, set a new championship record in the 1,500 meters freestyle, comfortably finishing ahead of Robert Finke and Florian Wellbrock in a time of 14:32.80.