AP – A diving competitor practices at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, Friday, July … SHANGHAI – Diving in front of his hometown fans, Huo Liang and new partner Qui Bo moved China closer to winning its second gold medal in diving at the world championships on Sunday.
Huo and Qui finished first in qualifying for the men's 10-meter synchronized platform with 477.96 points.
Huo won the world title with a different partner at the 2009 worlds in Rome and in 2007 at Melbourne, and could become the event's first three-time champion.
Americans David Boudia and Nick McCrory were second with 447.21. Boudia won a silver with another partner in Rome.
"We've been spending the past year getting to know each other and getting to know each other's diving," Boudia said. "We're both very confident in what our ability is and we know that all six dives can be that much better."
Boudia was part of a U.S. team that won four medals in Rome, and he's confident that he and McCrory can put some pressure on the Chinese duo.
"We've raised our degree of difficulty," he said. "We know that we can do great things, so we'll see what happens."
Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein of Germany were third with 441.12.
The top 12 teams advanced to the final later Sunday.
Also qualifying were: Russia, Britain, Ukraine, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Colombia, Belarus and Cuba.
The pressure is off for the British duo of Peter Waterfield and Tom Daley, the 10-meter champion in Rome. Even if they don't win a medal, Britain is assured a spot in the synchronized events as the host nation at next year's London Olympics.
Daley's training has been affected by the death of his father to brain cancer in late May, and then Waterfield arrived in Shanghai feeling ill.
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