INQUIRER Sports

BEIJING -- World champions Wang Feng and Qin Kai won the men's synchronized 3m springboard title here on Wednesday to continue China's diving domination with the hosts' fourth straight gold in Beijing's diving pool.

While US star Michael Phelps is dominating the Water Cube's pool, China are sweeping aside all rivals next door in the diving and now have four golds from the competition's eight events.

This was China's most comprehensive diving victory of the Games so far.

The Chinese won by a staggering margin of 469.08 points compared to the 421.98 of Russian silver medalists Sautin Dmitry and Yuriy Kunakov while Ukrainian pair Illya Kvasha and Oleksiy Prygorov took bronze with 415.05.

In front of packed crowds of passionate fans, the Chinese have led all four dive competitions this week from start to finish.

Schoolgirls Wang Xin and Chen Roulin won the women's synchronized 10-meter platform on Tuesday, teenagers Lin Yue and Huo Liang took the men's synchronized 10-meter platform gold on Monday.

And Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia cleaned up Sunday's women's 3m synchronized springboard event last Sunday, China's dive queen Guo is expected to claim another gold in Sunday's women's 3m individual springboard final.

On Wednesday, Qin and Wang made up for the disappointment of their last place in the same competition four years ago when the hot favorites in Athens came last.

And the gold had an extra sparkle for Wang who finished fourth in the men's individual 3m springboard in Athens.

Just as their compatriots had done, Wang and Qin led from the first of their six dives and built up a commanding lead.

Having claimed gold in the FINA World Cup in February, the pair started with a hiss and a roar at the Water Cube by scoring three perfect ten marks from the nine judges for their opening back pike.

With four rounds gone it was all over as the Chinese enjoyed a clear 20 point lead which they only extended.

Despite US pair Chris Colwill and Jevon Tarantino stumbling on their fourth round dive which put them sixth, the Americans recovered to claim fourth.

Canada's Alexandre Despatie, who made Commonwealth Games history as the competition's youngest gold medal winner at Kuala Lumpur in 1998 aged just 13, finished a disappointing fifth with partner Arturo Miranda.