"Diving queen" Guo Jingjing ruled the women's three-meter springboard synchronized final with her partner Wu Minxia to claim the first gold for China at the 14th FINA Diving Grand Prix in Shenzhen on Friday.

Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia

The world and Olympic champion pair performed steady and showed a class of their own by totalling 343.80 points, beating their closest rivals Sharleen Stratton and Briony Cole of Australia, who posted 311.94, by more than 30 points.

Jashia Luna and Laura Sanchez of Mexico took the bronze in 277.17.

"We performed our normal level today," said Wu, winner of the women's 3m springboard final at the World Cup in Beijing. "But we still need to improve ourselves in some dives."

"We are quite in form," added world and Olympic champion Guo. Guo and Wu just claimed the gold at the World Cup in Beijing last week.

"We are satisfied with our performance today," said Stratton, bronze medalist of the event at the 2007 Melbourne Worlds with Cole.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2008)