CHINA’S Guo Jingjing won a record fourth 3m springboard title at the world championships in Melbourne yesterday, giving China its seventh diving gold medal.

China’s winning streak ended in the men’s 10m platform, with Russian Gleb Galperin winning by 35.55 points over Chinese divers Zhou Luxin and Lin Yue.

“It just worked out that way,” Galperin said. “I really feel they jumped to the max. I really wanted to win the gold in front of such a full house. It was hard.”

China has won seven of eight gold medals at Albert Park, with two events remaining.

Galperin, the bronze medalist two years ago in Montreal, totaled 554.70 points. He received seven perfect scores of 10.0 on two consecutive dives.

“I could hear my marks, of course, and it got me on a high but I got it together,” he said.

Zhou got a perfect set of marks on one of dives. Lin nearly did, too, earning six 10s and a 9.5.

Galperin’s victory helped make up for the synchronized 10m event, where he and teammate Aleksandr Dobroskok were leading when Dobroskok failed to complete two dives. He earned zeros, and they finished last.

“It’s really not the end of the world that it didn’t work out with him,” Galperin said.

Guo defeated teammate Wu Minxia to retain the title she first won in 2001 at Fukuoka, Japan. She repeated in Barcelona in 2003, then beat Wu two years ago in Montreal.

Guo became the first diver in world championships history to win four consecutive individual golds. She surpassed the record shared by Americans Greg Louganis and Phil Boggs, who each won three consecutive world titles.

“I’ve never thought about it,” she said. “I just want to keep doing my best at competitions.”

Guo, the Olympic 3m champion, finished with 381.75 points.

Despite her experience, Guo is nervous at the prospect of competing at home in the Beijing Olympics.

“I think the biggest rival will be myself, but I really don’t want to think about it,” she said. “The thoughts of being there simply scares me at this stage.”

Wu took the silver for the third time with 368.80. She and Guo are partners in 3m synchronized diving, and Wu defeated Guo three times last year at major international meets.

Tania Cagnotto of Italy settled for the bronze. American Nancilea Foster was sixth and teammate Kelci Bryant 10th.

(SD-Agencies)