Nick Robinson-Baker and Chris Mears were seventh in the 3m springboard synchro final of the FINA World Championships in Rome.
Seventh for duo in tough Rome final
Nick Robinson-Baker and Chris Mears finished a creditable seventh in a 3m springboard synchro final of stunning quality at the FINA World Championships in Rome.
The pair scored 403.68 points in a competition in which the tone was set in the first round by China, when Qin Kai and Luo Yutong were awarded four perfect 10s and 10 overall.
China were unsurprisingly the victors ahead of Russia and Mexico as they continue to dominate the diving, with two gold medals today alone.
The Britons have been diving together for a year and were fourth at last year's Commonwealth Games and the seventh place equals Robinson-Baker's result from the 2009 World Championships in Rome, where he competed with Ben Swain.
Sheffield-based Robinson-Baker said: "You know it's going to be a high-standard competition when the first dive gets four straight tens.
"But we are all here for a reason, we're top eight in the world, we went out there and showed that.
"It's Chris' first World Championships, and he's just come out here and shown everybody how it's done.
"I'm very proud of myself and Chris, it's a fantastic performance for us.''
The title was China's eighth medal overall at the Oriental Sports Center and Mears acknowledged the size of the gap between them and the rest of the world.
He said: "China's technical ability is quite above everybody else's.
"You're going to have to put a little bit more tariff (difficulty) in than they've got and if you pull it off then you score higher, but that is a big risk.
"If you want to get a medal then you want to play safe a little bit as well.''
While Britain are still hunting their first diving medal, Keri-Anne Payne won gold in the 10 kilometre open water race to become the first athlete on to the GB team for London 2012.
Mears admits her efforts are inspiring.
"The more medals we get the merrier, if somebody from GB gets a medal it spurs us on,'' he said.
"We didn't get a medal today but there's a year to go to London 2012.
"We are going to do everything we can to get up there in the top three.''
