(Shanghai, CHN) - Olympic hosts Britain claimed their first gold medal of the world aquatics championships on Tuesday as China continued to sweep all before them in the diving events.
Keri-Anne Payne, who took silver at the 2008 Beijing Games, swam the women's 10km open water in 2hr 1min 58.1sec, winning ahead of Italy's Martina Grimaldi and Marianna Lymperta of Greece and ramping up hopes for London 2012.
Payne had to stop herself cursing with delight after the win, which also made her Team Britain's first confirmed athlete for next year's London Games with the top 10 finishers all gaining automatic entry.
"I really wish I could swear right now, but I'm not that kind of person," said the overjoyed Payne. "To be on the Olympic team, and then it's a home Olympics as well, I'm so absolutely pleased."
Under scorching sun at Jinshan City Beach outside Shanghai, Payne broke ahead of the pack early and stayed there.
"Through the whole race I tried to make it as easy as I could so that I knew if anyone did attack, I still had a bit left in me," said the Briton, who will also compete in the 1500m and 4x200m races in Shanghai.
Australia's Melissa Gorman, Argentina's Cecilia Biagioli, Brazil's Poliana Okimoto, Czech Republic's Jana Pechanova, Germany's Angela Maurer, Switzerland's Swann Oberson and Spain's Erika Villaecija Garcia also won Olympic berths.
Natalie Du Toit of South Africa, who became the first female amputee to compete in an able-bodied Olympics in 2008, placed 39th. Du Toit, who has no lower left leg, finished in 2:08:27:1.
Meanwhile China put one hand on the men's 3m synchro diving crown as Olympic and world champion Qin Hai and partner Luo Yutong dominated the morning heat ahead of the final later on Tuesday.
Qin and Luo amassed 452.19 points to win the preliminary from Russia's Ilya Zakharov and Evgeny Kuznetsov, with Patrick Hausding and Stephan Feck of Germany third and Americans Kristian Ipsen and Troy Dumais fourth.
China have won all four diving titles so far -- as well as every heat -- as they seek an unprecedented clean sweep of all 10 gold medals in the event, two years after winning seven at the 2009 championships in Rome.
"The opponents from Germany and the US are strong but I'm not nervous," said Luo. "We can't control other divers' performance, but we can do the best in our own dives. I think we are confident in ourselves."
With three days of competition completed, China lead the way with four gold medals -- all in diving -- while second-placed Russia have two, both from synchronised swimming.
Water polo is also under way at the 16-day, biennial championships, with the blue-riband pool swimming events kicking off on Sunday.
