He Chao succeeded his elder brother He Chong as 3m world champion, withstanding a riproaring challenge from Russia’s Olympic gold medallist Ilya Zakharov to put China back on the winning track in the Kazan diving pool and hoist their title tally to seven out of 10. Zakharov laid down a ferocious attack in the fifth and final round, pulling off a forward 4-1/2 somersaults (109C) which netted an enormous 106.40 points to put all the pressure on He Chao, taking on the same high 3.8 difficulty dive. But 23-year-old He, backed by an 11-point lead, did not buckle, earning 102.60 points himself to inherit the title won three times in succession by his 28-year-old brother He Chong, whom he had ousted from the Chinese line-up in the last national trials.
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